Floating on Mama’s Song/ Flotando en la canción de mamá (2010)
Laura Lacámara
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
The beautifully illustrated bilingual story holds an important message about acceptance. The mother in this story has the gift of song, however neighbors complain that their animals go missing when she sings.
Each time she sings, the people, animals and things around her are uplifted- literally! This detail is symbolic of her voice’s effect on those around her, and Morales’s depiction of the mother’s hair floating even when she is silent is a dreamy reminder of her talent for singing.
Perhaps the most enchanting part of this book are the brilliant pastels that make up the surrealist images that Morales has illustrated. The details that most caught my eye were the bright fuscia tone of the bougainvilleas spilling over fences as they do in México, as well as the multi-toned mangoes. I also noticed beautiful images of animals hidden in the clouds- perhaps reminiscent of the village animals that floated away from their owners? Yuyi Morales has created another masterpiece using acrylic paints, along with family photos, buttons and other bits of realia to bring the story alive.
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