Mama Does the Mambo

Sofia loved to watch the magic of her parents dancing. However, when Sofia’s father dies, Mama not only loses her dance partner but also stops dancing altogether. As Carnival season approaches, the neighbors urge Sofia to help Mama find a new dance partner. Although suitors come from all around to petition their cases, Mama’s heart doesn’t seem to be in it. Nonetheless, at Carnival, Mama demonstrates to all that she has not permanently lost the dance in her spirit and does the Mambo again. Rodriguez’s use of pastel, gouache, and spray paint with woodblock-ink linework beautifully complement and extend this tale of grief and healing. Employing a color palette centered around orange and red reflects the passion for music, dancing, and Papa that mother and daughter share. At the secondary level, Mama Does the Mambo could serve as an easily accessible exemplar of dynamic characterization and the characteristics of the hero cycle explained by Peter R. Stillman in Introduction to Myth.

Mama Does the Mambo by Katherine Leiner; illus. by Edel Rodriguez
Primary
Hyperion Books for Children
40 pp.
Published 2001
ISBN 978-0-7868-0646-1
$15.99

Comments

Becoming a Comics Librarian and the Importance of Joining a Community of Practice

Originally published April 5, 2023 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As a freshly-minted librarian, I was hired to serve at THE high school bearing my district’s name alongside an amazingly zany, veteran librarian who knew the current collection inside and out as she’d been the one to revitalize it with bond money just prior to my arrival. To say that I was intimidated about what I could possibly have to contribute is more than an understatement. So when the moment of truth arrived and I was handed a “small” purchase order to get my feet wet, I. Was. Stymied! Her fingerprints were all throughout that collection, and what she didn’t read our assistant did . How would I ever fit into this team?! What could I possibly contribute?! To be honest… after teaching a core, tested subject for fifteen years, I was just beginning to read young adult literature regularly...

Notes From the Field: Waltz Across Texas, First Dance

Originally published August 1, 2024 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission In July, I kicked off the first in a series of day-long turns around clusters of small public libraries to tour their spaces and chat about how the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) can best support their leadership. This round, the fancy feet of Continuing Education and Consulting Team Manager Katherine Adelberg accompanied me as we spun through New Braunfels Public Library, Seguin Public Library, and Martindale Community Library. New Braunfels Public Library New Braunfels is perched on the brink of the Hill Country, right between San Antonio and Austin on I-35. Spanning Comal and Guadalupe counties with its 105,000 residents, it’s not only one of the fastest-growing cities, but is also regarded as one of the best 50 places to live in the United States. Established in 1845, New Braunfels is known for its German...

Decloaking Wakanda: Creating Space for BIPOC Nerds

On February 9, 2023, at the fourth Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC), I had the exhilarating experience of guiding a discussion that focused on the need to connect with nerd culture and create a welcoming environment for the BIPOC fandom. The soul of this session had been several years in the making and built on countless heart-to-heart moments. So, I couldn’t imagine a better venue for seeing it actualized than my first JCLC. Furthermore, for this session, I had the honor of being in conversation with fellow nerds and comics librarians Jean Darnell and Deimosa Webber-Bey . To my eternal amazement, our talk was met with a standing room only reception, and afterward we were repeatedly regaled with tales of being turned away at the door. In hopes of capturing a small portion of that day's magic, this post grew out of that discussion. *** For the past 30 years, BIPOC nerds have existed in the cringe-worthy shadow of Urkel. What if, instead, they’d had portrayals such as ...

CET Writes

Search This Blog