Los Niños Mariachis/The Mariachi Kids

K-Gr 3–This bilingual picture book tells the story of a brother and sister who want to become mariachis. Joselito and Lupita, two Latinx children, hear mariachis at a party and decide they want to sing and dress up like the musicians. After being laughed at by their classmates, the majority of whom are white with one appearing to be of Asian descent and 1-2 Black or Latinx, and encouraged by their Latinx teacher, they begin to practice. They receive mariachi outfits and begin performing. The two children did not give up and achieved their goal. The story is told from Joselito’s point of view and conveys an optimistic attitude. The artwork appears to be colored pencil and captures the emotions of the characters very well. Closeups of the characters’ faces clearly show how they are feeling. The colors are soft and include cloudlike backgrounds that match the characters’ outfits.