Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo (Pura Belpre Honor Books - Illustration Honor)
&#x201C;&#xA1;Tum Tica! &#xA1;Tum Tica! The dancers twirled, the lights swirled, and the mambo went on and on.&#x201D; Like so many of Brown&#x2019;s biographies, such as Waiting for the Biblioburro (2011) and Side by Side/Lado a lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La historia de Dolores Huerta y C&#xE9;sar Ch&#xE1;vez (2009), Tito&#x2019;s story introduces readers to a vibrant Latino figure. As a baby, Puente made music with pots and pans, and he later grew up to fulfill his dreams as a musician and beloved bandleader. Award-winning illustrator L&#xF3;pez brings Tito&#x2019;s story to life in vibrant acrylic salsa reds and oranges, which are splashed behind every shake of Tito&#x2019;s hips and wink of his eyes. The swirling, whirling compositions add to the text&#x2019;s rhythmic beat. To continue the rumba after Tito&#x2019;s story has ended, the last page of the book offers a simple melody to play on its own or alongside the book. An author&#x2019;s note (in both English and Spanish) sheds more light on Puente&#x2019;s life. Grades K-3. --Angie Zapata