Author: Katherine Leiner
Title: Mama Does the Mambo
Illustrator: Edel Rodriguez
Genre: Fiction/Picture
Subgenre: Dancing/Culture
Theme: Even when life is tough, don't give up on what you love.
Primary Characters: Mama, Papa, Sofia, Eduardo
Secondary Characters: Marina, Mirna, Dori, Rosa
Award/Date: None/2001
Publisher: Hyperion
Summary: The story starts off revealing the loss of Sofia's Papa. It tells of how her mother hasn't danced since she lost her husband. Sofia talks about how much she misses watching her parents dance and watching her mother dance while doing chores. As time continues, everyone realizes that Mama needs a dance partner, but her then boyfriend Eduardo is a terrible dancer. In the end, Sofia dances with her mother and puts a smile back on her mom's face and her own.
How used: This story can teach about two things: Culture and dealing with loss. First of all, this story's pictures revealed this family as a latin family, so it shows the different types of dances as well as foods that may be fond in the latin culture. Secondly, the story addresses how a family must deal with the loss of the father. Children sadly are faced with this everyday, so this can give a tiny glimpse for other children into the lives of people experiencing loss.
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