La Guitarrista

by Lucky Diaz, Micah Player (Illustrator)

Overview

From the creators of Paletero Man—Latin Grammy–winning musician Lucky Diaz and celebrated artist Micah Player—comes a story about a tenacious girl who achieves her wildest dreams with a little help from her community and a broken guitar. 

Strum! Strum! Strum! Get ready to rock with la guitarrista!

When Canta finds a guitar in the trash, she is one step closer to becoming a rock star. Even though the guitar is broken and she doesn’t know how to play, nothing can stop Canta from going after her dreams!

Perfect for fans of Because and We Will Rock Our Classmates, readers will rock out to this empowering tale of resilience, community, the power of music—and never giving up on your dreams.

The book includes Spanish words and phrases throughout, an author’s note from Lucky Diaz, and a link to the song inspired by the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063254152
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	600,373
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lucky Diaz is a bilingual, songwriting, taco-eating, multi–Latin Grammy Award–winning, Grammy-nominated and six-time Emmy-nominated musician, children’s television personality, and author. His work has been praised by NPR, Billboard, People, and the New York Times. He is a Parents' Choice Gold Award and NAPPA Award winner. In 2020, his album Buenos Diaz was named an official selection of notable works for children by the American Library Association. Lucky’s debut picture book, Paletero Man, has been celebrated with starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and ALA Booklist. He currently lives in a house on a hill in Los Angeles with his wife, Alisha; daughter, Indiana; and their dog, Django. luckydiazmusic.com

Micah Player began his career designing and illustrating for Paul Frank Industries in Southern California. He is the author of Chloe, Instead and the illustrator of several books and games for children, including Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz. He lives in a little house beneath a giant tree in the Utah mountains, with a lovely schoolteacher named Stephanie. They are the parents of two rad kids, one Yorkshire terrier, and several Casio keyboards. micahplayer.com.

Editorial Reviews

06/12/2023

The creators of Paletero Man deliver a vibrant rhyming celebration of an L.A. neighborhood community and one Latinx-cued child’s determination to find “the song in my heart.” When Canta, who loves to admire the expensive guitars at a local shop, finds a broken guitar in a dumpster, the story’s young narrator enlists neighbors’ help in repairing it before joining the “cool” kids at music school. Classmates mock the child’s sound, but a supportive teacher, Señora Clemente, encourages Canta to “Tune those doubts out!” Diaz’s text flows smoothly between English and Spanish as a refrain of “Strum! Strum! Strum!” propels Canta’s journey from observer to performer. Emotions leap from Player’s warm-palette digital illustrations, which utilize emanata and deep perspective to create a sense of movement and passionate energy around Canta’s larger-than-life dreams. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Told with unitalicized Spanish and English intertwined, the rhymes are appropriately melodic, and the art is vibrant, full of warm tones and round-faced characters full of expression. It’s a combination that works: a heartfelt story of a neighborhood coming together to help a little girl’s dream come true and engaging illustrations that deliver. An inspiring story of perseverance.  — Kirkus Reviews

The rhyming of this story only enhances the rhythm of the guitar readers might imagine playing in the background as they read. The illustrations are vibrant and add to the feel of the story, showcasing diverse characters and the energy of the Los Angeles neighborhood where it is set. With English and Spanish text, this book could be used to foster social and emotional learning, as well as highlighting diversity. VERDICT A recommended purchase that will be fun to share as a read-aloud and inspire readers to follow the song in their hearts. — School Library Journal

This upbeat story carries positive messages about believing in yourself, persevering when others doubt you, and achieving your dream through hard work. A fun read-aloud pick for a bilingual (or any!) storytime. — Booklist

A vibrant rhyming celebration of an L.A. neighborhood community and one Latinx-cued child’s determination to find “the song in my heart.” Diaz’s text flows smoothly between English and Spanish as a refrain of “Strum! Strum! Strum!” propels Canta’s journey from observer to performer. Emotions leap from Player’s warm-palette digital illustrations, which utilize emanata and deep perspective to create a sense of movement and passionate energy around Canta’s larger-than-life dreams. — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

04/01/2023

K-Gr 3—A young girl finds a guitar in the trash and dreams of becoming la guitarrista, but first has to give her new instrument some much needed tender loving care. With the help of her neighborhood friends, she transforms her find into a functioning guitar. She is excited and nervous to start her guitar lessons, but those emotions soon change to embarrassment when her fellow music classmates make fun of her instrument. The rhyming of this story only enhances the rhythm of the guitar readers might imagine playing in the background as they read. The illustrations are vibrant and add to the feel of the story, showcasing diverse characters and the energy of the Los Angeles neighborhood where it is set. With English and Spanish text, this book could be used to foster social and emotional learning, as well as highlighting diversity. The book spotlights the importance of upcycling, i.e., finding new uses for discarded items. The author's note also lends so much to this personal narrative and the importance of perseverance. VERDICT A recommended purchase that will be fun to share as a read-aloud and inspire readers to follow the song in their hearts.—Darla Kaminsky

School Library Journal

2023-01-25
Grammy Award–winning artist Diaz’s love letter to music.

“Treasure in the trash!” Canta, a Latine child who each Saturday stares longingly at the instruments on display at the guitar store, is thrilled to find a guitar that someone has thrown out. With Mamá’s encouragement (“¡Sí, se puede! / Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”), Canta seeks help from Fernanda at the repair shop. Soon, the guitar is whole again. Now all that’s left is learning to play it. Excited for lessons with Señora Clemente, Canta runs down the street, but another friend offers help before her class. Lupita gives the guitar a candy paint gleam so the guitar will be a real dream! Now Canta is finally ready for school. Some kids try to make fun of Canta, but Señora Clemente tells her to “Tune those doubts out!” So Canta listens to her heart, her corazón, and loudly sings her song, her canción! With unitalicized Spanish and English intertwined, the rhymes are appropriately melodic, and the art is vibrant, full of warm tones and round-faced characters full of expression. It’s a combination that works: a heartfelt story of a neighborhood coming together to help a little girl’s dream come true and engaging illustrations that deliver. Most characters present Latine, with skin in varying shades of brown; Señora Clemente is cued as Afro-Latine. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An inspiring story of perseverance. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews