Customer Reviews

Drum, Chavi, Drum!/¡Toca, Chavi, toca!

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mayra Dole's character, Chavi, is a touching, vibrant, young female character you will want to introduce to your children. In fact, Chavi is so "touching" that she can't keep her hands from tap-tap-tapping everything that she comes in contact with. Chavi is a drummer in a culture where girls are not supposed to drum. Despite the strong forces trying to stop her, Chavi perseveres and lives out her dream. This book will give you a taste of Miami and its unique blends of cultures. Beautifully illustrated and written in both Spanish and English, this is a story that will most certainly...touch you.

Drum, Chavi, Drum (Toca, Chavi, Toca) is a marvelously written and illustrated story young children will enjoy. A child would not only find this book entertaining, but it is also useful for any child's learning on several levels. It is bilingual, exposes readers to Miami Cuban-American culture, and shows that girls need not be held back from persuing their dreams. I recommend it to all parents of young children.

Finally, a book about two dynamic Latino girl characters. The determination of Chavi, against all odds, to play the congas in the Little Havana Calle Ocho Festival will have you rooting for her. You can practically feel, smell and touch everything in her barrio; this is due to the vibrant, lively writing and the wild colorful artwork. Your kids will love Chavi and view her as a little barrio heroine.

Drum, Chavi, Drum is a bilingual book for all ages. Mayra L. Dole, the author, has an exquisite, rythmical lyrical-prose style that is so vivid, so alive, so real and urgent, that you cannot help but be transported into her lively Cuban culture and come out dying to read anything she has ever written. This book is a gem. It touches upon many delicate subjects in lower working-class Latino cultures in an upbeat, fun way. Kids will fall in love with Chavi, her attitude toward life and the way she transforms her feelings into pure rythym. A must buy. The art work is expressive and vibrant. I highly recommend this book.

Wow, This is just a delightful book. I never get tired of reading it for my Grandchildren & I have had to buy several copies so each Grandchild can have their own. This is their favorite book now & they want to drum on everything just like Chavi. My Granddaughter wants a drum for her birthday.
They can relate so well with the character & it teaches & inspires them as they are entertained.
I love the fresh effervescent expression of the culture & storyline & messages it gives to them. The illustrations are bright & colorful & show the culture of Cuban Miami so wonderfully.
I hope every library will get this book so that many children will be able to enjoy it.

As a music professor and father of three young children, I srongly recommend, Drum, Chavi, Drum! It is a beautifully written and illustrated Spanish/English book. The author seemed to have poured her heart and soul into this work. The main character, Chavi, and her best friend, Rosario, are fun and feisty girls. The drumming sounds were brilliantly executed. The author is masterful at depicting feelings. Children of every race and culture will relate to Chavi; she holds the key to the truth and the adults around them need to realize that they can learn from her, not the other way around. She knows instinctively what is right and grown ups need to figure it out for themselves!

I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book & the children I have read it to became instantly enamored with the character Chavi.
Mayra Dole talent & ability to express & to share so many aspects of her culture is evident here. She weaves many values in this fun & delightful book where the irresitable Chavi shares her world with us.
The Illustrations reflect the color & authenticity of Miami's Cuban life. A captivating character & story.

With a crisp and witty text both in English and in Spanish, and appropriate illustrations that will charm children and adults alike, "Drum, Chavi, Drum" delights as well as it teaches. Besides the obvious advantages to a child who is learning either language, this beautiful book contains valuable lessons in social justice and equality, taught in a fun and most palatable way. Children will cheer for Chavi as she tries to show her drumming skills in the popular and colorful Calle Ocho Festival in Miami, a festival that comes alive in this wonderful tale. Mayra Dole's book should be seriously considered in a bilingual elementary school curriculum.

As a librarian, I consider this book to have a vivid narrative style that depicts tumbadora drums as an important instrument in the Hispanic community. All descritptive passages are written in Spanish and in English and invite the reader to become immersed in the Miami Cuban culture. I highly recommend this fun and rhythmic billingual book for elementary schools and for public library collections.

Impeccably written and full of beautiful illustrations," Drum, Chavi, Drum" is a tale that will entertain children and will inspire them to fight for the goals they want to reach, no matter how overwhelming the odds may be. They will sympathize with young Chavi and root for her in her efforts to drum in the Calle Ocho Festival in Miami. The fact that the book is written both in English and in Spanish provides an excellent educational opportunity for a wide range of language learners. This is definitely one of the best books of its genre published this year.