By Duncan Tonatiuh
Age Range:
6 - 10 years
Grade Level:
1 - 5
Hardcover:
32 pages
Publisher:
Harry N. Abrams
Language:
English
ISBN-10: 1419725327
ISBN-13: 978-1419725326
Award-winning author and illustrator
Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hernández, dancer and founder of El
Ballet Folklórico de México.
Published in time for the 100th anniversary of Hernández’s
birth, Danza! is the first picture book about the famous dancer and
choreographer.
Danza! is a celebration of Hernández’s life
and of the rich history of dance in Mexico. As a child, Amalia always thought
she would grow up to be a teacher, until she saw a performance of dancers in
her town square. She was fascinated by the way the dancers twirled and swayed,
and she knew that someday she would be a dancer, too. She began to study many
different types of dance, including ballet and modern, under some of the best
teachers in the world.
Hernández traveled throughout Mexico studying and learning
regional dances. Soon she founded her own dance company, El Ballet Folklórico
de México, where she integrated her knowledge of ballet and modern dance with
folkloric dances. The group began to perform all over the country and soon all
over the world, becoming an international sensation that still tours today.
Duncan Tonatiuh’s picture books have been honored with many
awards and accolades, including the Pura Belpré Award, the Robert F. Sibert
Award, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. With
Tonatiuh’s distinctive Mixtec-inspired artwork and colorful drawings that seem
to leap off the page, Danza! will enthrall and inspire young readers
with the fascinating story of this important dancer and choreographer.
Reviews
"Tonatiuh tells Hernández's story with careful attention to
detail and with obvious admiration for the subject... His digitized, hand-drawn
illustrations are striking. They showcase, in his signature style based on
Mixtec art, the beauty and grace of many different dance styles."(Kirkus-
STARRED REVIEW)
"This beautifully designed, large-format picture book is a showcase
for Tonatiuh’s distinctive illustrations, drawings with digital collage
elements that add colors, patterns, and textures to strong, well-delineated
forms."
(Booklist- STARRED REVIEW
)
"Tonatiuh’s recognizable illustration style, inspired by
Mixtec art and with well-chosen photo-collage elements on costumes and
accessories, is par- ticularly resonant with a subject whose own desire was to
preserve and celebrate Mexican arts and culture. A beautiful look at one of
Mexico’s most cherished institutions." (The Horn Book)
"Employing his his customary brand of Mixtec-inspired
collage, Tonatiuh makes expert use of photographic bits of lace, cloth, and
hair to bring warmth to the dancers, who dip and turn on each spread."(Publishers
Weekly)
"The book does an excellent job of chronicling Hernández’s
work as cultural explorer and celebrator of both pre-Columbian past and Mexican
present...Tonatiuh’s signature stylized figures in side view and flattened
perspective are surprisingly well suited to dancing." (Bulletin
of the Center for Children's Books)
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