illustrated by Orlando L. Ramirez
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Why can't all bus drivers be as cool as Cheech?
When the kids on the school bus decide to enter the Battle of the Bands, no one is more excited than Cheech. On the big day, they all pile into the bus and get ready to groove! But when they arrive, they find they're the only mariachi band in the whole contest -- and the rock and roll bands look awesome
When the kids on the school bus decide to enter the Battle of the Bands, no one is more excited than Cheech. On the big day, they all pile into the bus and get ready to groove! But when they arrive, they find they're the only mariachi band in the whole contest -- and the rock and roll bands look awesome
In this zany story by beloved performer Cheech Marin, the band tries every trick in the book to make their act mea-sure up -- with hilarious results! How will mariachi ever compete against rock and roll?
Buy a copy of this wonderful book at your local Borders & Barnes and Nobles Book stores or on Amazon:
Marin, Cheech.
Cheech y su autobús escolar.
(Cheech and His School Bus)
tr. by Orlando Ramirez. illus. U.S.: Rayo: HarperCollins. 2007.
Actor and comedian Marin delivers a humorous and entertaining picture book that will engage storytime attendees. When a group of children put together a mariachi band, they name it Los Cheecharones in honor of their beloved bus driver, Cheech. Their mentor is excited. The problem starts when the band enters a rock-and-roll competition. How can the only mariachi group compete against the cool rock bands? At the competition, bands use lots of strange and unusual gimmicks to capture everyone’s attention: the Monsters sing extra loud; the Cobras wear funny costumes; and the Giant Spiders put out an impressive performance. The Cheecharones try to implement some of these wacky ideas, but they finally decide to follow Cheech’s advice and just play the best they can. In the end, their long practices and passion for their music pay off and everything turns out “Groovanova!” Youngsters will enjoy the funny illustrations, which reflect diversity in the faces of the mariachi band members. Moreover, readers will connect with the text, which suggests that the characters are Spanish-speaking children from the United States: it uses Mexican expressions like “padrísimo,” the Venezuelan “chévere,” and a few Spanglish expressions. An excellent choice for school and public libraries.
Cheech the School Bus Driver
Cheech Marin, illus. by Orlando L. Ramírez. HarperCollins,
Review by Publisher's Weekly
Marin (of Cheech and Chong fame) follows his bestselling children’s album, My Name Is Cheech, the School Bus Driver, with a similarly titled first children’s book. In it, bus driver Cheech’s passengers are a group of mariachi-playing students who plan to enter a Battle of the Bands contest. Insecurities surface after Cheech drives the musicians to the contest and they see the gimmicks of several other bands. Worried that they don’t stand a chance, the racially diverse Cheecharrones (in a nod to Marin’s nickname) practice amplifying their music and dressing in crazy costumes, though nothing seems quite right for them. With Cheech narrating in the first person, older readers familiar with the actor should hear his gravelly voice coming through in comments like, “Groovanova!” and “I am a really, really, really, really good bus driver. I always get to school on time, and I never, ever, ever, ever get lost.” (The next spread shows his bus at a lonely desert intersection. “Well, almost never,” he admits.) Ramírez, in his debut children’s book, paints the characters in caricature style and does a fine job depicting Cheech’s zany, startled expressions. When the mariachi band members finally take the stage, they learn that being themselves and playing their own style of music proves a winning strategy—a worthy, if oft-told, lesson. Ages 4-8. (July)
About me: Orlando is a professional illustrator with over 13 years experience. With his background in traditional art and digital techniques he has produced many illustrations for publishing, the web/internet and advertising industries. His versatility, with attention to fine detail, makes him useful asset for a wide range of projects. He is a graduate from Ringling School of Art and Design where he studied illustration and design. Orlando's artwork includes: cartoons, character design, animals, children, humor, storyboards, whimsical, greeting cards, lettering, books, posters, puzzles, toys/game, calendar, t-shirts, logos, icons, corporate brochures etc.
HOLA!!!ojala pudiesemos
estar a tu lado,para
cantarte un super birthday
song.muchas bendciones y
que este a-o este lleno
de muchas alegrias para
Ti,con tu nuevo hogar,
mucho exito en tu trabajo,
y sobre todo mucha salud
y logres todos tus suenos.
abrazos una hermanita:
Pagoda
Great stuff Orlando! Glad to see you are making a success with your talent! Hopefully I can get back to the drawing board soon--I'm super busy with family in town!
