# 33- José! Born to Dance (2005)

José! Born to Dance (2005)

Susanna Reich

Illustrated by Raúl Colón

Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award

This biography of Mexican dancer José Limón tells a story of one creative artist’s quest to find his passion. What I most enjoy about the story is how José practices and develops many different talents in his life, such as drawing and playing the piano, before he finds his passion for dance.

José grows up during the civil war in México and after his family is forced to hide in the cellar for three days and three nights, they immigrate to the U.S. He grows up dreaming about being an artist an “is famous for his pictures of trains” among his siblings.

As a young adult, José grieves the death of his mother, works in a factory, and dreams of living in New York someday. When he moves there and takes a job as a janitor, however, José becomes discouraged by the works of art he sees in museums and grows lonely. It is when a friend invites him to see dancers that he finds his true passion and “became what he was born to be.”

Colón’s textured paintings feature images that give the reader a sense of being enclosed with his use of lines. In the background of the illustrations that alternate from verso to recto, the round shapes of José and other characters are always framed by photograph frames, a blackboard, and several doors, walls and windows. The somber colors in most of the book portray the main character’s times of suffering, and color enters when José finds joy in his creative endeavors.

The endpages include a historical note about Limón, as well as a bibliography. Teachers and students may enjoy using some of these resources to compare the narrative story with facts and discuss the author and illustrator’s interpretations.