In Lola’s Fandango by Anna Witte, illustrated by Micha Archer (Barefoot Books, 2011), the young Lola wants to be like her talented, beautiful older sister. When she discovers that her mother once was a talented flamenco dancer, she is determined to learn to dance too.
With her father’s help, she masters the skills needed and surprises her mother with a colorful dance. The illustrations are bright collages that perfectly add to the family’s Spanish heritage which is so integral to the story. The book also comes with an accompanying read-along CD. It was fun to hear the Fandango rhythm on the CD so I could better place Lola’s Fandango in its cultural context.
Note: I was provided a review copy of this book for consideration for the 2012 Cybils awards.
