By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 4, 2008
The Best Mariachi in the World / El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo
by J. D. Smith (Author), Dani Jones (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Raven Tree Press C/O Delta; Bilingual edition (October 1, 2008)
The Best Mariachi in the World is a great little story about a boy and his numerous attempts to convince his family that he can be a part of their mariachi band. In addition to being an endearing tale about the timeless quest to find one’s calling, the author has built a Spanish lesson into the book. Key words throughout the text are highlighted and written in Spanish–it’s pretty easy to figure out what they mean given the context of the story but there’s also a handy guide at the back of the book with definitions and a little background information on Mariachi music. The reader gets a great story, some cultural references and a language lesson all rolled into one! Definitely a worthwhile read.
Add this book to your collection: The Best Mariachi in the World / El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo