PRAISE

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“Afro-Puerto Rican dance traditions are celebrated through one girl’s breakthrough moment with bomba. A solid reminder of music’s power and a good primer on Puerto Rican dance culture.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The theme of dance as a liberating force for self-expression is enhanced by the cultural context in this picture book. Ortiz’s straightforward text taps into several relatable and authentic themes, including the pressure children can feel to embody all aspects of their cultural backgrounds, and dispelling the notion that all Latinxs are naturally rhythmically gifted. A wonderful pairing for titles depicting the intersectionality of Latinx heritage, like Margarita Engle’s Drum Dream Girl and Eric Velasquez’s Looking for Bongo.” —Booklist

“The illustrations provide readers with a clear view of Julia’s emotions as she confronts her fears and anxiety about dancing. The author includes general information about the bomba as well as a glossary of Spanish words in this bilingual edition. VERDICT An additional purchase for patrons who are interested in learning about bomba, a Puerto Rican dance.”—School Library Journal

BOOK TRAILER

When Julia Danced Bomba, Cuando Julia Bailaba Bomba

AUTHOR READING

When Julia Danced Bomba / Cuando Julia bailaba bomba

MEDIA

Raquel Ortiz libro para niños hispanos | Voces HITN
Feb 18, 2020

NPR Arte Público Press Author Interview: Dr. Raquel M. Ortiz, February 2020

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW WITH RAQUEL M. ORTIZ ABOUT HER TWO RECENT BILINGUAL PICTURE BOOKS, SOFI PAINTS HER DREAMS AND WHEN JULIA DANCED BOMBA.

INTERACTIVE READING OF WHEN JULIA DANCED BOMBA

December 2019 Center for Puerto Rican Studies

An interactive reading of When Julia Danced Bomba that highlights bomba music by teaching artist Doctor Drum and dancing second graders from BronxWork After School Program.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE STICK PUPPET COLORING SHEETS BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE!

Download the FREE Educational Guides by clicking on the images below:

ENGLISH Teacher’s Guide

Caregiver Guide (English)

Caregiver Guide (Spanish)