My Name is Celia- The Life of Celia Cruz= Me Ilamo Celia- La Vida Celia Cruz

Brown, M., & Pez, R. (2004). My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz = Me llamo Celia : La Vida de Celia Cruz. Flagstaff, Ariz.: Luna Rising.

Lexile Score: N/A

Summary: This bilingual book is about Celia Cruz and her life as a singer, dancer, and salsa queen. It takes you through her journey starting off in Cuba and ending up in America. She never stopped inspiring people with her love of music.

Evaluation: This story doesn’t have any noticeable stereotypes and is inspired by a Cuban woman who had a passion. It teaches children to never give up on their dreams, and to always try your best. The illustrations are fun and joyful, which describes Celia Cruz. They are very uplifting and engaging for students.

It’s a great story to teach about cultural backgrounds, especially since the story is written in both English and Spanish. Celia Cruz represents people from all over the world. She has a huge leadership role seeing as how she was a leader and not so much a follower during her lifetime, which is why she is such an inspiration to so many Cuban women as well as women from around the world who was able to hear her voice or see her perform.

The story reflects a variety of settings from Cuba to America. There are values being explored instead of preached and there are lessons to be learned. For example, never giving up on your dreams. This story is another wonderful example of a powerful book.

Literary elements: Onomatopoeias- Sounds such as boom, clap, and shake help bring joy to the story.

Similes- “My songs sounded like the waves of the ocean hitting the roof of my mouth…”

Setting- From Cuba to New York to Miami

Mini lesson: I would teach my students about setting since it’s a very important part in Celia Cruz’s life. I would ask how her life might have been different if would have stayed in Cuba rather than moved to New York. Also, how her life may have been different if she would have moved to say Oregon.

Target Audience: 1^st- 5^th grade to help students learn Spanish or for simply a cultural text