Rock Star Rules!

February 15, 2022
A future rock star will not be silenced. Brown-skinned Latina Lupe Lopez isn't just ready to go to kindergarten--she's ready to be the star of kindergarten. Armed with "drumsticks" (really pencils), she marches into the classroom intent on making a splash, until Ms. Quintanilla tells her that school has rules. Instead of gaining instant celebrity, Lupe becomes the first kid in kindergarten to get in trouble. Not to be deterred, however, she forges ahead with her own rock-star rules, like making noise at lunch with makeshift drums and starting an after-school fan club for herself...whose first meeting nobody attends. Dejected, Lupe spends the second day of kindergarten feeling miserable in her ordinariness until she finds a happy medium. Spanish-inflected onomatopoeia describing drumbeats jumps out of the text and makes a bold statement, just like Lupe herself. The mostly light brown-skinned students and adults are authentic to the book's Texas setting, and Spanish words are scattered throughout. Charlton-Trujillo and Miller's narrative always respects Lupe's personality, never making her a joke. Cepeda's full-bleed spreads are immersive and inviting, while cut-out illustrations surrounded by white space convey the sense of isolation Lupe feels when she is made to tone down her antics. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An instructive story about balancing big dreams with real life, with a charming heroine to root for. (Picture book. 6-9)

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August 1, 2022
Drummer Lupe Lopez, a “real-life, Texas-size rock star” portrayed with brown skin, has a rebellious, big-ego persona—and discovers on the first day of kindergarten that it’s the complete opposite of what classroom life requires. Ms. Quintanilla promptly lists rules for being a “school rock star”: listen to your teacher, use your inside voice, and be a friend. Lupe’s asked to refrain from wearing sunglasses inside, drumming anywhere she pleases, and shouting “¡Soy Famosa!” in the lunchroom. What’s more, Charlton-Trujillo and Zietlow Miller reveal, her peers are not interested in being her personal fan club. In adhering to the rules, Lupe becomes more approachable, even learning that her classmates, who appreciate her talent, are eager to start a band. Employing Spanish words and onomatopoeia, and Cepeda’s full-bleed, sunshine-bright cartoons, this story assures even the most exuberant kid that they can master the big social-emotional task of kindergarten: holding onto individuality while becoming part of a community. Ages 3–7.

September 23, 2022
Grades K-3 Lupe Lopez has no doubt that she is a rock star. It's apparent from her cool sunglasses, tapping drumstick pencils, classic lunch box, and punk rock pigtails. When Lupe arrives for her first day of kindergarten, she spends all her time showing the class her mad drumming skills--which lands her in timeout. The next day, Lupe tries to rein in her rockin' ways and follow her teacher's rules; "It was the worst morning a kindergartener ever had." But by lunchtime, Lupe's fingers start tapping again and she ends up with two friends who think she is quite amazing. Upon realizing that having friends is better than having fans, Lupe and her new pals pool their talents and form a rock band. Boisterous illustrations mix relatable moments with comic ones, and the combination of darker colors, such as purple, blue, and green, and onomatopoeia adds pizzazz. This exuberant, toe-tapping tale is a great addition to first-day-of-school collections and a companion read for Derrick Barnes' The Queen of Kindergarten (2022).

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