Salsa

January 15, 2015
Music, dancing and food unite in this giddy bilingual whirl.Ingredients are also elements in Argueta's "salsa orchestra": "Cloves of garlic are trumpets, / and the cilantro is the orchestra conductor / with his shaggy, green hair." Moreover, "For the music to be really spicy, / it's important to use chilies"-red ones in particular, though hot chilies also come in green ("One bite and we turn into fireflies"), purple, yellow and "even little round chilies like green pearls." Though the amount of each ingredient is not specified, Tonatiuh's dancing figures-rendered in his digital collages in ancient Mixtec style with oversized hands and big, swiveling heads-demonstrate each step in stylized but easily followed ways. Components are diced (with adult help required, not suggested), smushed together in a lava molcajete with a thick tejolote, then stirred with a "saxophone spoon" while Mama warms up the tortillas. "Ummmm, que rica / esta salsa. / Salsa roja, / sabor de amor." There is no glossary, but English translations have been placed beneath the Spanish free verse and follow it closely. Ummm, a delicious companion to Argueta's Tamalitos (2013, illustrated by Domi), Guacamole (2012, illustrated by Margarita Sada) and his other poemas para cocinar. (Picture book. 5-8)

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Starred review from March 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-A boy and his sister make the spicy sauce with the help of family members in the latest entry from Argueta's "Bilingual Cooking Poems" (Groundwood). The characters make salsa while dancing to salsa-the pan-Latin American musical genre. This lyrical, bilingual text (from Spanish to English) features an easy-to-follow recipe. The extended poem celebrates cooking as a family and cultural event, hearkening back to the Nahua, Aztec, and Maya traditions of using a molcajete (small black bowl) to grind ingredients to make the tasty treat. A symbol denotes tasks that require adult supervision and help. A suggestion for composting leftover materials is tied to fostering a relationship with Mother Nature. Complementing the heartwarming text are Tonatiuh's pre-Columbian, Mixtec-inspired illustrations. The earthy tones, onomatopoeic word art, and borders peppered with pertinent images, such as tomatoes; limes; and musical notes, work together to serve up a completely satisfying offering. VERDICT A delectable work of art perfect for food-themed, bilingual, and Dia storytimes.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 This poem invites readers to participate in the preparation of a popular dish through history and dance. We learn first that salsa originated with the ancient Nahua, Maya, and Aztec peoples, who ground the ingredients together in a molcajete made of volcanic rock. While the family chooses and cleans los tomates y los chiles, the other salsathe dancebegins. Soon we do not know which inspired which! Illustrations unite past and present, offering vivid depictions of contemporary life in the style of the ancient Mixtec codex. Written in Spanish and English, the poetic rhythms are stronger in the Spanish, though both are filled with onomatopoeia and musical imagery, as garlic trumpets and literal flavor notes are stirred together with a saxophone spoon. Information heavy, this poem is useful for lessons on art and culture. Discerning readers will be able to look beyond the stereotypical association of Latino culture with music and spicy food and appreciate the bigger message: the timelessness of beloved traditions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
In this latest addition to his series of bilingual cooking poems (Arroz con leche / Rice Pudding; Guacamole), Argueta plays on the multiple meanings of salsa to create a mouth-watering musical recipe. The poem begins with a young boy telling the history of the molcajete and tejolote, the mortar and pestle traditionally made from the volcanic rock that forms from cooled lava and used to grind vegetables and spices. As the boy and his family prepare their weekly salsa roja, the child's imagination runs wild. Ingredients become instruments -- an onion is a maraca, tomatoes are bongos and kettledrums. Argueta's use of onomatopoeia (prac-presh-rrick-rrick is the sound of the ingredients being ground in the molcajete) and detailed description of ingredients play on the various senses to convey the sounds, flavors, and feelings coming together as the boy's family dances, sings, and cooks. Tonatiuh's illustrations, rendered primarily in greens and reds, complement the two types of salsa mentioned in the poem. The earthy tones and Mesoamerican-inspired drawings suit the poem's combination of the traditional elements of salsa-making with the modern scenes of a family cooking and celebrating. The lack of measurements may leave some readers perplexed (exactly how many tomatoes are needed?), but the more important message of love and family gathering to create something special shines through. celia c. perez

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)