A Girl Named Rosita: The Story of Rita Moreno: Actor, Singer, Dancer, Trailblazer!

by Anika Aldamuy Denise, Leo Espinosa (Illustrator)

Overview

Pura Belpré Honor winner Anika Aldamuy Denise (Planting Stories) and New York Times bestselling illustrator Leo Espinosa (Islandborn) tell the story of Rita Moreno, the Puerto Rican superstar best known for her Oscar-winning performance in the original West Side Story film, in this gorgeous picture book biography.

When young Rosita moved from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States, she didn’t know what to expect—but she knew she loved to sing and dance. Working to overcome the language barrier and bullying she experienced in a strange new country, Rita eventually made her way to Hollywood with a dream to be a star. There, she fought to be seen and heard and eventually reached the pinnacle of success, landing her iconic role in West Side Story and, finally, winning her groundbreaking Oscar.

Brought to life by Leo Espinosa’s bold and vibrant illustrations and Anika Aldamuy Denise’s lyrical text, this gorgeous tribute to the life and career of the first Latinx person to have earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award will inspire little dreamers everywhere.

Informative author’s note and timeline also included.

A Spanish-language edition is also available.

Praise for Anika Aldamuy Denise:

“[Anika’s] lyrical text, sprinkled like fairy dust with Spanish words, begs to be read aloud.”—New York Times Book Review on Planting Stories

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062877703
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/03/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	95,095
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anika Aldamuy Denise is the celebrated author of many picture books, including The Love Letter; Pura Belpré Honor-winning Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré; Starring Carmen!; Lights, Camera, Carmen!; and Monster Trucks. She lives in Rhode Island with her family. Visit Anika online at www.anikadenise.com.

Leo Espinosa is an award-winning illustrator and designer from Bogotá, Colombia, whose picture books include the New York Times bestselling and Pura Belpré Honor book IslandBorn by Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Díaz, Goldfish on Vacation by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph by Lucy Margaret Rozier. Leo lives with his family in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit him at www.studioespinosa.com. 

Editorial Reviews

Leo Espinosa’s illustrations are lively and animate....And the book is a positive, compelling look at the only Latinx performer to have earned a Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.

Boston Globe

Denise and Espinosa, both Pura Belpré Award Honorees, have created a motivating and touching story of a talented and determined Latinx woman.

Shelf Awareness

This upbeat picture book biography…[is] for listeners who twirl and swish their voluminous skirts while singing into their hairbrushes.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

This upbeat picture book biography…[is] for listeners who twirl and swish their voluminous skirts while singing into their hairbrushes.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

★ 11/01/2020

PreS-Gr 3—Bright colors enrich this biographical picture book about the early life of Rita Moreno, the award-winning Puerto Rican actor, dancer, and singer. Moreno, who was born in 1931 as Rosa Dolores Alverio, displayed a knack for song and dance at a young age. The text guides readers through the story of Moreno's beginnings, from the heartbreak she endured leaving family and Puerto Rico to the moment she won an Oscar in 1962 for her moving performance as Anita in West Side Story. The hardships Moreno experienced, including bullying at school and whitewashed Hollywood culture, are purposefully depicted to introduce children to the weight of Moreno's reality. Denise's author's note pays tribute to Moreno's many accomplishments; this title reflects Denise's appreciation for Moreno's ability to shatter barriers for Latinas and other young women of color. Further examination of the other roles Moreno played in her long career would have added to the narrative's pacing and context. Denise and Espinosa capture Moreno's determination and her genuine joy for performing. Espinosa's digital illustrations portray animated, easy-to-read expressions and scenes made of clean lines and contrasting textures. In particular, Moreno's vibrant performance as Anita is triumphantly represented with swirling flashes of her iconic dance. VERDICT An inspirational title for young elementary children. This energetic, illustrated biography honors her determined spirit with colorful exuberance.—Rachel Mulligan, Pennsylvania State Univ.

School Library Journal

2020-09-15
The story of Rosita Dolores Alverio—best known today as Rita Moreno—a girl from Puerto Rico who loved to sing and dance.

At a young age, Rosita leaves her island home with her mother to settle in New York City. Her new school is a “fortress of brick” where she is teased for “her accent, darker skin, and curly hair.” In order to speak back to the bullies, Rosita practices until her inglés is perfect; this tenacity will continue throughout her life. She starts dancing lessons at 6, and it is soon clear that “onstage, she is home.” As her dancing and acting careers progress, gender and ethnic stereotypes pen her in. She must put on a fake accent to play stereotypically exotic parts. Finally, the role of a strong Puerto Rican woman comes, and it is hers: Anita in West Side Story. For this she wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, the first Latinx performer to ever win an Oscar. It is here that the story ends, though the backmatter includes an author’s note and timeline that show that Rosita—now Rita—continues a life of professional successes and lifelong political activism. Espinosa’s illustrations are as vibrant as the character he portrays. Rosita and her mother have beige skin and black hair, and the New Yorkers are multiethnic, but the people—mostly men—that surround her in Hollywood are White.

An inspiring account of a woman who followed her dreams. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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