Drum dream girl: how one girl's courage changed music

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Language
English

Description

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl.

In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

This beautiful picture book was recognized with a Pura Belpré Honor. A strong option for those interested in women's history and Hispanic History topics.

More Details

Contributors
Engle, Margarita Author
López, Rafael Illustrator
López, Rafael,1961- illustrator., ill
ISBN
9780544102293
9780544102286

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These books have the appeal factors spare, lyrical, and own voices, and they have the theme "music makers"; the genre "picture books for children"; the subjects "child musicians" and "music"; and illustrations that are "colorful illustrations."
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These books have the appeal factors own voices, and they have the theme "music makers"; the genre "picture books for children"; the subjects "gender role," "cuban people," and "bands (music)"; and illustrations that are "colorful illustrations."
Packed with gorgeous, glowing colors, each of these inspiring fictional stories is grounded in the real-life experience of a gifted female artist: African-American dancer Misty Copeland in Firebird and Chinese-African-Cuban drummer Millo Castro Zaldarriaga in Drum Dream Girl. -- Rebecca Honeycutt
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Vibrant, attention-grabbing art by illustrator Rafael Lopez will draw young readers into each of these picture books about talented female musicians from Cuba. My Name Is Celia is a bilingual biography, while Drum Dream Girl is fact-based fiction. -- Rebecca Honeycutt
These books have the appeal factors spare and lyrical, and they have the genre "picture books for children"; and the subjects "cuban people," "girls," and "boys."
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Similar Authors From NoveList

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Immigration and conflicts between cultures are frequent themes in Thanhha Lai and Margarita Engle's own voices books for teens and older kids. Engle also has books for other age groups, but both authors often write in verse. -- Stephen Ashley
These authors write books that can be accessible entry points for readers looking for diverse biographies and topics. Though Engle's books are written in verse and Bolden's are prose, both authors' work is well-researched and includes extensive back matter and resources for further exploration. -- Hannah Gomez
Drawing on their Cuban American backgrounds, Ruth Behar, who is also an anthropologist, and Margarita Engle, who is also a biologist, write moving, lyrical, character-driven stories for young people that are rooted in Spanish-speaking history and culture. -- NoveList Advisor
Picture books by these Cuban American authors range from biographical works that highlight the inspiring achievements of Latin Americans to heartfelt, feel-good works of fiction centered around the joys of tight-knit Latine families and communities. -- Basia Wilson
These poets for young people write own voices fictionalized biographies in verse, typically focusing on Cuban (Engle) or African American (Nelson) figures in history who aren't well known. -- Hannah Gomez
Margarita Engle and Pat Mora are both poets and children's books authors who write sensitive, lyrical picture books that reflect their Latin American cultural heritage, be it Cuban for Engle or Mexican for Mora. Both writers incorporate Spanish into their English language narratives with Mora also writing complete bilingual texts. -- NoveList Advisor
These authors' works have the subjects "caribbean history," "cuban people," and "caribbean people"; and include the identity "latine."
These authors' works have the appeal factors melancholy, and they have the subjects "cuban people," "caribbean people," and "cuban americans."
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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

A talented young girl with a passion for drumming dreams of playing music in this upbeat story based on the life of Cuban musician Millo Castro Zaldarriaga. Told repeatedly that girls cannot be drummers, she refuses to give up, practicing in secret and delighting in every bit of music around her. A visit to an open-minded music teacher results in lessons and, eventually, the opportunity to perform in public. Vibrant, warm, and hopeful, this expressive story shows the power of perseverance and importance of following your dreams. Engle's prose flows easily, with clean but evocative language that will be accessible to a range of young readers. López's illustrations are lushly saturated with color, and the warm palette and bright tones transport readers to the tropical setting, while visible brushstrokes and layered colors bring depth to each scene. The text and illustrations work together beautifully here, creating a story that will imbue readers with inspiration and a yearning to make music of their own. An author's note provides some background on Zaldarriaga, the inspiration for this fictional story.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2015 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

A riot of tropical color adds sabor to the tale of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who dreams "of pounding tall conga drums,/ tapping small bongó drums/ and boom boom booming/ with long, loud sticks/ on big, round, silvery/ moon-bright timbales." Everybody in Cuba believes that only boys should play the drums, and her own father forbids her to perform, but the "drum dream girl" (as she's referred to throughout) finds her own drums, practices, and persists until her father relents and hires a teacher. Lopez's (Tito Puente, Mambo King) paintings fuse dream and reality as the girl flies through the air, drumming on the moon and making music with butterflies and birds; Engle's (Silver People) lines dance with percussive sound words and rhythmic repetition. Though an afterword reveals that Zaldarriaga later became famous enough to perform for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Engle focuses on her initial struggles rather than her subsequent career. A valuable addition to the growing library of stories about strong Latina women. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. Illustrator's agent: Stefanie von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-4-The award-winning Cuban American author has made her mark on children's literature with her powerful portrayals of little-known aspects of Cuban history, often shedding light on the Afro-Cuban experience. This work is inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke down traditional taboos against female drummers. López's luminous illustrations represent the island's diversity. Details of Cuba's and the protagonist's Chinese, African, Taíno, and Spanish roots are interwoven into the lyrical narrative and the vibrant acrylic paintings. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horn Book Review

A young girl dreams of becoming a drummer. Though she lives on an island of music / in a city of drumbeats, hers is an impossible dream: only boys play drums. An appended note reveals that the story is based on Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cubas traditional taboo against female drummers and in the 1930s played with her sisters in an all-female band, Anacaona. Engles poetic text takes its cues from Zaldarriagas chosen instrument, its rhythm at times steadily assured and at others loose and improvisational. Theres ear-pleasing onomatopoeia (the boom boom booming of sticks on a timbale), copious descriptive adjectives, and thoughtful alliteration, with both lots of hard ds and softer, rolling rs appearing throughout: Her hands seemed to fly / as they rippled / rapped / and pounded / all the rhythms / of her dream drums. Lpezs saturated acrylic-on-wood illustrations capture the musicality of the island (most everyone plays an instrument) and the surreal dream-images (even a mermaid is shown playing percussion) that inspire young Millo to pursue her love of drums. Warm blues and purples swirl against hot pinks and bright oranges -- every spread is full of motion, with some of the illustrations requiring a ninety-degree turn, as if the book itself has got to dance. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

Pura Belpr winner and Newbery honoree Engle, known for writing free-verse historical fiction, introduces readers to Millo Castro Zaldarriaga with this illustrated poem, inspired by her subject's childhood. Millo became a world-famous musician at quite a young age. Before fame, however, as Engle's account attests, there is struggle. Millo longs to play the drums, but in 1930s Cuba, drumming is taboo for girls, "so the drum dream girl / had to keep dreaming / quiet / secret / drumbeat / dreams." This doesn't stop Millo; she dares to let her talent soar, playing every type of drum that she can find. Her sisters invite her to join their all-girl band, but their father refuses to allow Millo to play the drums. Eventually, her father softens, connecting her with a music teacher who determines that her talent is strong enough to override the social stigma. The rhythmic text tells Millo's story and its significance in minimal words, with a lyricism that is sure to engage both young children and older readers. Lpez's illustrations are every bit as poetic as the narrative, a color-saturated dreamscape that Millo dances within, pounding and tapping her drums. Though it's not explicit in the text, her mixed Chinese-African-Cuban descent is hinted at in the motifs Lpez includes. A beautiful account of a young girl's bravery and her important contribution toward gender equality in the creative arts. (historical note) (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

A talented young girl with a passion for drumming dreams of playing music in this upbeat story based on the life of Cuban musician Millo Castro Zaldarriaga. Told repeatedly that girls cannot be drummers, she refuses to give up, practicing in secret and delighting in every bit of music around her. A visit to an open-minded music teacher results in lessons and, eventually, the opportunity to perform in public. Vibrant, warm, and hopeful, this expressive story shows the power of perseverance and importance of following your dreams. Engle's prose flows easily, with clean but evocative language that will be accessible to a range of young readers. López's illustrations are lushly saturated with color, and the warm palette and bright tones transport readers to the tropical setting, while visible brushstrokes and layered colors bring depth to each scene. The text and illustrations work together beautifully here, creating a story that will imbue readers with inspiration and a yearning to make music of their own. An author's note provides some background on Zaldarriaga, the inspiration for this fictional story. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

A riot of tropical color adds sabor to the tale of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who dreams "of pounding tall conga drums,/ tapping small bongó drums/ and boom boom booming/ with long, loud sticks/ on big, round, silvery/ moon-bright timbales." Everybody in Cuba believes that only boys should play the drums, and her own father forbids her to perform, but the "drum dream girl" (as she's referred to throughout) finds her own drums, practices, and persists until her father relents and hires a teacher. Lopez's (Tito Puente, Mambo King) paintings fuse dream and reality as the girl flies through the air, drumming on the moon and making music with butterflies and birds; Engle's (Silver People) lines dance with percussive sound words and rhythmic repetition. Though an afterword reveals that Zaldarriaga later became famous enough to perform for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Engle focuses on her initial struggles rather than her subsequent career. A valuable addition to the growing library of stories about strong Latina women. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. Illustrator's agent: Stefanie von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. (Mar.)

[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC

Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC
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School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 1–4—Engle's spare, rhythmic text gets at the heart of the struggle to achieve a dream in this picture-book biography about a Chinese African Cuban girl who aspired to play drums even when society's double standards stood as a barrier. Growing up in tempestuous 1930s Havana, during a time when universities were often shut down because of their opposition to the dictatorial President Machado, Millo Castro Zaldarriaga dared to dream of playing percussion instruments—timbales, congas, bongós—but her father was adamant that "only boys should play drums." But still she persisted in her hopes and eventually, with the help of her sisters and music teacher, became a member of the renowned Anacaona, Cuba's first all-girl dance band, founded by her sister, Cuchito Castro. López's zinging, neon-tinged art highlights the island's diversity, depicting the drum girl's flights of fancy set against the backdrop of carnival scenes and outdoor cafes. Details of Cuba's and the protagonist's Chinese, African, Taíno, and Spanish roots are seamlessly interwoven into the lyrical narrative and luminous acrylic paintings. The alliterative text parallels the snappy syncopation of the subject's instruments. The heroine's tenacity in the face of naysayers will inspire all dreamers, and the illustrator's smile-inducing cameo on the last page emphasizes the universality of Millo's story. For those looking for more nonfiction titles about female musical powerhouses, such as Monica Brown's My Name Is Celia/Me llamo Celia (Cooper Square, 2004), Katheryn Russell-Brown's Little Melba and Her Big Trombone (Lee & Low, 2014), and Carole Boston Weatherford's Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century (Knopf, 2014). An author's note gives more background on the groundbreaking percussionist. —Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

[Page 121]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 1–4—The award-winning Cuban American author has made her mark on children's literature with her powerful portrayals of little-known aspects of Cuban history, often shedding light on the Afro-Cuban experience. This work is inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke down traditional taboos against female drummers. López's luminous illustrations represent the island's diversity. Details of Cuba's and the protagonist's Chinese, African, Taíno, and Spanish roots are interwoven into the lyrical narrative and the vibrant acrylic paintings.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal.
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