I truly enjoyed learning about Jose. I think is story is really unique. A lot of the times, people who have become famous for something have been doing the specific thing for years. Jose started late but he followed his heart and became great. This was a great story and I would definitely recommend. ( )

Review:
This book is a picture-book biography about the life of renowned dancer and choreographer José Limón. The story uses colorful illustrations and lively language to tell the story of José's childhood, travels to America, and his journey into the world of dance.
Critique:
I think this book is an excellent example of a biography because it tells the true story of an individuals life. However, the author uses simplified language to make the story of José for relatable and understandable for young children. Additionally, this story is amazing because it tells the story of a young man pursuing dance as a career, which is not typically something that boys are encouraged to do.
Use:
1. One use for this book would be to read it aloud during a unit on art or careers. During the read aloud, the teacher can ask questions about José's perseverance in following his dreams. Then, at the end, the teacher can discuss how following one's passions takes a lot of hard work, but is always rewarding in the end.
2. Another way to use this book would be to read it with ELL students. While reading, the teacher can make connections between the students' and José's struggles with language learning, using José's successes as encouragement to the students who are also working to learn English.
Age Appropriateness: Primary, Intermediate
Media: watercolor and colored pencil ( )

A little boy who was torn from his country due to civil war. Coming to the United States Jose's English was not that good. He never gave up and and the determination he showed in learning to speak English was the same determination that lead him to becoming a wonderful dancer.
The lighting that the illustrator uses through out the book is wonderful and lend themselves to sharing a story of a magical man who shared an amazing gift with the world. ( )

"Jose! Born to Dance" told a great story about the life of Jose Limon, who moved from Mexico to America with his family, and after failing to become a painter, he became a dancer. The book tells his story starting in Mexico during the Civil War that broke out in the early 1900's and ends with his success as a dancer later on in his life. A reason why I liked this book was because it included the hardships in his life, not just his successes. Such as when his family had to hide in their basement for three days and nights, in order to keep them safe from the fights going on in the streetS during the Civil War. The author also includes his struggles in school and how the laughter from his fellow classmates in America motivated him to become a proficient English speaker. The illustrations were not over the top and did not cover the whole page. The illustrator, Raul Colon, painted pictures that illustrated the different events in Jose's life. For example, on the last page of the book the illustration shows Jose on stage in front of a ginormous crowd of people chanting "Bravo!". I believe that the overall message of this book is that if you do your best, stay motivated, and do not let others bring you down, then you can achieve more than you could possibly imagine. ( )

Mexican American dancer Jose Limon, traveled a long road to accomplish his dreams. A great desire to share his love for the arts with the world, pushed him to move to New York to pursue his dreams. Jose: Born to Dance includes beautiful illustrations to help tell the story of a man with a dream and determination to pursue it. I loved this story and the author including dual language throughout the book. ( )