Jose! Born to Dance

July 25, 2005
The mystery of the creative process comes through in this picture-book biography of dancer Jose Limon, born in Mexico in 1908. Reich's (Clara Shumann: Piano Virtuoso) poetic language evokes the sensual experiences of childhood that inspired the boy's artistic yearnings, while Colon's (My Mama Had a Dancing Heart) artwork, in earthy tones, captures a mood of sober intensity. When civil war causes Jose's family to flee to the United States, he takes along memories of luscious fruit, flamenco dancers and marching soldiers. Readers may feel that the boy's move from drawing and painting to dancing seems abrupt, especially when he debuts onstage just six weeks after his first dance class, but the tale of how quickly he mastered English as a youngster hints at Jose's early passion for mastering nearly everything. Colon's signature style with its visible scratch marks and swirling brushstrokes provide a grainy, textured quality that deftly combines a sense of movement and stillness, as when Jose enters a dance studio for the first time. The onomatopoeic phrases that run throughout the book help to demonstrate the richness of Jose's experiences and how he brings them to bear on his style of dance: "He learned to be fierce like a bullfighter-¡Ole!/ Strong like a soldier-¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Uno! ¡Dos!/ And proud like a king-pum! Jose's story (he later became a world-famous choreographer) attests to the openness and perseverance that artistic passion requires. Ages 5-8.

October 1, 2005
Gr 2-4 -This story of a young Mexican boy with dreams works better as a picture book than a true biography. Brief anecdotes, presented like a slide show, take readers from Limó n's birth through a happy childhood, the Mexican civil war, immigration and adaptation to the United States, and his struggle to become a painter, and then a dancer, in New York City. Coló n's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations on textured paper give a sense of movement and life. Colors are muted, backgrounds are somewhat impressionistic, and there is more energy in the art than in the very simple text. Short sentences, Spanish words scattered about (defined both in context and in a brief glossary on the copyright page), and some rhythm and sound effects make this a good read-aloud, though the lack of emotion at such pivotal moments as the outbreak of war, a mother's death, and Limó n's leaving his elderly father for New York, is a weakness. The book gives little sense of the importance of Limó n's life as a dancer and choreographer, and his transition from struggling painter to successful dancer is oddly abrupt. A historical note addresses his adult life and impact on dance history. Use this as a story or to pique the interest of children in this artist, but not as a biography." -Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2005
Gr. 2-4. This picture-book biography tells the story of Jose Limon, who became a legendary figure in the history of American dance. Reich punctuates the scenes of Limon's childhood in Mexico with sensory details, especially sounds: the "TRILLIA-WEET! TRILLIA-WEET!" of his grandmother's canary singing; the clicking heels of flamenco dancers; the cries of "" \xc1 Ole! \xc1 Ole! "(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)