Adela’s Mariachi Band
by Denise Vega; illus. by Erika Rodriguez Medina
Primary    Charlesbridge    32 pp.
8/24    9781623544447    $17.99
e-book ed.  9781632893994    $9.99
Spanish ed.  9781623544454    $17.99

Adela loves mariachi music and her family’s mariachi band. Her relatives all participate, either playing an instrument or dancing—but not Adela. Her attempts to dance and to play la trompeta and la vihuela are frustrating, and she’s too impatient to spend time learning. Vega takes readers through Adela’s struggle, as she eventually finds her place in the band. Medina’s illustrations teem with movement and color. The vibrant double-page spreads showcasing the various instruments are full of joy. Medina also leans into Adela’s frustration and ­disappointment, and we feel her full emotive range. This book celebrates family, music, and finding one’s place in a seemingly full space. An author’s note provides information about mariachi history as well as some details about mariachi players in Vega’s own family. Concurrently published in Spanish as Los mariachis de Adela.

From the ">September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.