Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa

This book tells the life story of salsa singer, Celia Cruz. The first thing that caught my eye were definitely the colorful pages. Each page had bright orange, red, blue, pink, and green backgrounds. I liked how the story started off with Celia Cruz as a child and her life in Cuba. As the story progressed, Celia became older, faced challenges, and became the queen of salsa and a very influential Latin American singer. I really liked how the story incorporated a few Spanish words to give the story a Cuban feel. For example, "Her voice is 'tan dulce', sweet like 'azucar'." Along with these words, there is a glossary at the end of the book to help readers understand the words. I liked how the glossary is at the end, and not on the page, show more because it gives readers a chance to try and fill in the blanks and try to figure out what the word means on their own, but can also double check with the glossary. There was also an authors note at the end of the book as well, explaining how the author saw Celia Cruz as a huge role model and influenced her life while growing up, and stated that, "her [Celia Cruz] music and her life is a reminder of the sweetest things in life." The big idea of this book was to inform the readers of the life of the amazing singer, Celia Cruz. It was also a tribute to those who knew, loved, and remember the impact she had on her listeners. show less

Celia Cruz, a famous Cuban-American singer born in 1925, was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums and winning seven Grammy awards (she had ten nominations). Her trademark shoes are even in the Smithsonian Museum!

Cruz was touring with a big band at the time Fidel Castro assumed control of Cuba in 1959, and she and her band, rather than returning to Cuba, entered the United States and remained there. She became a U.S. citizen in 1961.

At first, Cruz experienced little success in the U.S. Although she spoke English well she refused to record in the language. Her fortunes began to change when she took up salsa. Cruz became an inspiration for numerous younger performers (such show more as Gloria Estefan), and for most Hispanic Americans, she has been and remains a much-loved figure, an icon of Latin culture. She died in 2003.

The book Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa is a lovely and poetic tribute to Cruz. It begins, "In the fabled land of Havana, where rhythm grows, swet and juicy, like oranges in Florida, there lived a girl. She looked like a girl and talked like a girl, but everyone who ever met her agreed, she sang like a bird.”

After telling her story, the book concludes:

“The bird girl grew into a princess and the princess became a much beloved queen. Her kingdom was music and those who loved her called her not by name, but by the joy she inspired. At concerts, they called out ‘Azúcar!’ and Celia Cruz never failed them. She sung sugar, sweet sugar, wherever she went.”

The illustrations in this book are vibrant and sensual, dominated by warm tropical colors and stylized figures.

Reading level: Ages 5 and up show less

This short picture book about the story of Celia Cruz is very sweet and would be a great segway into talking about race, music, and politics. While it is suggested for students in 2-4th grade, I think that this quick read could be used to discuss other empowering Latina role models, to demonstrate that Latinos can be a whole range of skin tones, and/or to have students talk about how they feel when they listen to different types of music. The book is beautifully illustrated and will definitely make students want to listen to some of Celia's music! I would also use this as a mentor text for students to learn and practice incorporating a second language into their stories.

This is a beautifully illustarted picture books of the life of Cuban salsa singer Celia Cruz. This vibrantly illustrated story captures Cruz’s journey as a child growing up in Havana to her inspiring rise to fame as the world’s queen of salsa. The way they described her singing was also very beautiful it made me wish I was there hearing her sing. The illustrations were also beautiful it made me feel like I was walking in the streets of Cuba.

Celia Cruz started as a young girl in Cuba with a love for singing. She grew up poor and would use her talent in her small house to sing her large family to sleep. Celia always saw education as important because her father wanted her to make the family proud by becoming a school teacher. High school teachers influenced Celia to strive for her goal of becoming a famous singer. Celia Cruz did achieve her dream after becoming the new lead singer of a popular band, La Sonora Matancera. Not everything went perfectly in Celia’s life but she did achieve what she most desired in life, which was to share her voice of sugar. The illustrations are bright and lively, just like the Latino culture. This is a great biography for children because it show more shares the uncommonly told story of a Latino woman achieving a great success. Also a few Spanish words are used, which are defined in the back of the book. The book could be used as a Spanish vocabulary lesson. If I shared this in my class I would like to also show at least one video of Celia Cruz singing so they can actually hear her sugary voice. show less

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. In this picture-book biography, Chambers offers a brief, lyrical tribute to salsa superstar Celia Cruz. Short paragraphs follow the vocalist from her Havana childhood, where neighbors crowded the street to hear young Celia sing to her family, to her heartbreaking emigration from Cuba and worldwide stardom. Chambers writes in figurative language that, while adding a whimsical, fairy-tale quality to the story, may confuse younger children ("Celia would grow up to be a queen, but she was not born a princess"), and specific musical references, such as "Afro-Cuban rhythms," will likely be lost on youngsters. That said, Chambers' enthusiasm for her subject is contagious, and the bright, uncluttered show more paintings of rounded, stylized figures in saturated, tropical hues echo the energy in the words. With few books about Cruz available for this age group, this is a welcome addition to the biography shelves. An author's note, a discography, and a glossary of Spanish words used in the text are appended. Suggest this with Andrea Davis Pinkney's Ella Fitzgerald (2002) for another picture-book view of a legendary female vocalist show less

Celia Cruz was a Latin music icon. She got the fame, the fortune, and the romance that she always wanted- but because she had to leave her hometown of Havana for Hollywood, she had a hole in her heart that was never filled. This is a biography book for children in grades 2-4. The author thoroughly describes the life of this queen of salsa, but simple enough for children to understand. It introduces a few simple Spanish words and there is a glossary in the back of the book. This book could be used when teaching about biographies and because it evokes drive and shows that dreams can come true if you only try. There is a great author's note at the back of the book offering more of a detailed background of Celia Cruz to explain to students.