Drum Dream Girl

Based on the 2016 Pura Belpré Award-winning picture book by author Margarita Engle and illustrator Rafael Lopez, this iconographic adaptation is loosely inspired by the life of little-known Chinese-African-Cuban musician Millo Castro Zaldarriaga. A salsa-fied soundtrack accompanies the vibrant colors and surreal scenes (which include the unnamed titular character floating with butterfly wings, and a watchful moon with pink cheeks) in Drum Dream Girl, which tells the story of a girl who lives on an “island of music” but must keep her appreciation of conga, bongo, and timbales under wraps due to sexism. Following her need to keep the beat—in scenes of animals and nature, outdoor cafes, and carnivals—the narrative finds the girl finally joining her sisters' all-female dance band after their father agrees to a music teacher, who is impressed with the youngster's raw talent. Also including a read-along option and a featurette on the real Zaldarriaga (who at 15 played at a birthday party for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt), this inspirational tale—winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video and an ALSC Notable Children's Video selection—is highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood).