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Elena's Serenade Hardcover – Picture Book, March 1, 2004

by Campbell Geeslin (Author), Ana Juan (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 67 ratings
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Who ever heard of a girl glassblower?
In Mexico, where the sun is called el sol and the moon is called la luna, a little girl called Elena wants to blow into a long pipe...and make bottles appear, like magic.
But girls can't be glassblowers. Or can they?
Join Elena on her fantastic journey to Monterrey -- home of the great glassblowers! -- in an enchanting story filled with magic realism.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 10 years, from customers
  2. Part of series
    Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Commended
  3. Print length
    40 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  6. Lexile measure
    AD650L
  7. Dimensions
    11 x 0.5 x 11 inches
  8. Publisher
    Atheneum Books for Young Readers
  9. Publication date
    March 1, 2004
  10. ISBN-10
    0689849087
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0689849084
  12. See all details
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Teachers' picks | Explore children's books by grade

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A delightfully fresh take on the "anything you can do, I can do better" theme, Elena's Serenade follows a feisty little Mexican girl on a quest to prove to her father--and herself--that she can be a glassblower, even if she is a girl. Magic realism abounds as Elena journeys (dressed as a boy) to Monterrey to learn from the great glassblowers. Along the way she meets a burro, a roadrunner, and a coyote, helping each of them accomplish their goals as she blows tunes through her father's cast-off glassblowing pipe. Arriving in Monterrey, our little "muchacho" is mocked at first, but soon silences her detractors (who continue to think she's a boy) when she creates beautiful glass stars through her pipe. If only her Papa could see what she can do! Perhaps if she blows a giant bird (golondrina), she can fly home.

A lovely story penned by Campbell Geeslin, with lyrical acrylic and crayon art by the illustrator of Jonah Winter's Frida, Ana Juan. Readers will revel in the whole experience--words, pictures, message, and all. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4--In this story set in Mexico, a young girl longingly watches her papa blow into a pipe to create bottles, and dreams about doing the same. Papa disapproves, with comments about her size and gender. Hurt and angry, Elena takes her brother's advice and, disguised as a boy, begins a journey to Monterrey, home of the great glassblowers. Stopping to rest along the way, she pulls out her pipe to blow and is surprised when a melodious sound emerges. Her beautiful notes give lost and lonely Burro comfort, help hopeless Roadrunner to move faster, and allow shrill-sounding Coyote to make sweet melodies. With newly acquired confidence in her abilities, the girl finally reaches Monterrey. Although the men laugh at her, she closes her eyes and plays "Estrellita" while blowing a star out of glass. Desperate to share her talent with her father, Elena blows out a giant bird and flies home, and Papa soon realizes how special she is. The story flows well and Spanish words are smoothly incorporated into the text. The alluring acrylic-and-crayon illustrations have a stylized folk-art quality that helps to set the stage for the tale. Juan uses striking color combinations and shifting perspective to keep attention focused on the child and her changing emotions. The final images of Elena, complete with smiling face and flowing hair, reveal her blossoming identity along with her talents. A fascinating adventure that explores issues of gender roles, self-confidence, and the workings of an artist's heart.--Tracy Bell, Durham Public Schools, NC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atheneum Books for Young Readers; First Edition (March 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0689849087
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0689849084
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 10 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD650L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.21 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11 x 0.5 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 67 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
67 global ratings
Great book, TERRIBLE packaging
5 Stars
Great book, TERRIBLE packaging
I love the book! But, whoever boxes it up and mails it out (Amazon warehouse?) does a terrible job. I bought this as a gift, it arrived in a box way too big for the book and with one strip of those air pillows. I exchanged it, and the next one came the same way, but with just a strip of air pillows just little bit longer than the first one, and the jacket was messed up again, but not as bad as the first time so I kept it and gave up. OF COURSE the book is going to bang around in that box! Why not stuff the box with paper shreds or crumpled up newspaper, or bubble wrap it?
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Top reviews from the United States

Kate B
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful writing, sweet illustrations
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book has a wonderful message, and the writing is beautiful. It feels very musical in a way, which fits right in with the plot. I bought it for my 5- and 2-year-old. Not only does it have a good message (be true to yourself), but I love that words in Spanish are peppered throughout, making it easy for little ones to pick up, and the illustrations are wonderful, too.
2 people found this helpful
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Brandi L.
5.0 out of 5 stars This made my daughter want to be a glass blower!
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
That headline? I'm not even exaggerating. We checked this book out from the library initially and my daughter fell in love with it and the idea of becoming a glass blower. Children's books about glass blowers, probably not surprising, are hard to find. Beautiful art and a beautiful story.
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Karin Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, TERRIBLE packaging
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
I love the book! But, whoever boxes it up and mails it out (Amazon warehouse?) does a terrible job. I bought this as a gift, it arrived in a box way too big for the book and with one strip of those air pillows. I exchanged it, and the next one came the same way, but with just a strip of air pillows just little bit longer than the first one, and the jacket was messed up again, but not as bad as the first time so I kept it and gave up. OF COURSE the book is going to bang around in that box! Why not stuff the box with paper shreds or crumpled up newspaper, or bubble wrap it?
Customer image
Karin Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, TERRIBLE packaging
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020
I love the book! But, whoever boxes it up and mails it out (Amazon warehouse?) does a terrible job. I bought this as a gift, it arrived in a box way too big for the book and with one strip of those air pillows. I exchanged it, and the next one came the same way, but with just a strip of air pillows just little bit longer than the first one, and the jacket was messed up again, but not as bad as the first time so I kept it and gave up. OF COURSE the book is going to bang around in that box! Why not stuff the box with paper shreds or crumpled up newspaper, or bubble wrap it?
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One person found this helpful
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Adina
5.0 out of 5 stars malina_georgescu@yahoo.com
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
I bought this book as it was listed as one of the girls empowering books on A Mighty Girl Facebook page. Since the purchase and despite having so many children books in our library, my 5 years old is only asking for this one: before breakfast, on the way to school, after school, bedtime ...you name it. Very imaginative writing using as an excuse a skill which is very uncommon these days: glassblowing. Everyday now we have to watch a video too about glassblowers, just lovely .
One person found this helpful
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Kirsten
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for young girls!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2012
Verified Purchase
This book is about Elena who is a little girl living in Mexico with her glass-blowing daddy and brother. She wants to be a glass blower too but her daddy says that girls are not glass blowers. Elena decides to travel to the big city and learn glass blowing. It's a magical, musical, empowering story. In the end, Elena comes back home with a truly unique gift. My 3 3/4 year old daughter loves the book and so do I!
3 people found this helpful
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Betsy Bird
4.0 out of 5 stars Glass menagerie
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2005
I'll cut a book a whole swath of slack of it's beautifully illustrated. I'm not ashamed to admit it either. A story could be pedantic, repetitive, and dull and I'd still be gaga over it if the pictures were pretty enough. Now in the case of Campbell Geeslin's, "Elena's Serenade", I'm torn. The tale told here is actually rather interesting and well-written. Its heroine sets out on a kind of small picaresque quest and gains her heart's desire by the end. Now certainly the story is not the best written in the world. It drops certain plot points here and fails to offer any reason for other occurrences there. But it's a nice enough tale and when you take into consideration the overwhelming beauty of artist Ana Juan's illustrations.... well let's just say it's enough to salve over any nit-picking I might have. "Elena's Serenade" is beautiful and affecting without straining to please. If you don't love it, I can think of a hundred small schoolchildren who would.

Told in the first person, we see the world of Mexico through little Elena's eyes. The daughter of a glassblower, Elena's one dream is to someday learn the trade. Unfortunately, female glassblowers are entirely unheard of at this time and, anyway, Elena is too little. At the advice of her brother our heroine decides to disguise herself as a boy and travel all the way to Monterrey to study with the world's best glassblowers. Along the way she plays funny tunes on her glassblowing pipe and helps out a burro, a roadrunner, and a lovesick off-tune coyote. In Monterrey, Elena displays her new glassblowing via music technique. Suddenly she's creating stars with five points, butterflies that clink their delicate glass wings, and huge magnificent birds, one of which takes her back home. At the end of all her journeys, Elena is pleased to show her new talents to her papa and to play delightful tunes with colorful images from the tip of her glassblowing pipe.

Obviously the story has some rough spots. After all, why does Elena help out the animals of the desert if their trials have nothing to do with the story at large? What time period is this in which girls cannot be glassblowers? Sure looks like present day to me. And the magical source of Elena's power is left unclear, though I'm willing to chalk that up to magical realism and just leave it at that. These problems could have sunk a book with an illustrator less talented than Ana Juan. As it is, it's clear to me that author Campbell Geeslin lucked out. Juan first hit the children's picture book scene with a jaw-droppingly beautiful encapsulation of Frida Kahlo's life entitled, "Frida" (by Jonah Winter). She follows that success up with the equally magnificent "Elena's Serenade", and I couldn't be more pleased. Elena is the perfect heroine. Comically ridiculous when she attaches half a tortilla to her face to look like a beard. Incredibly pitiable when she hunches over in pouty misery after her father tells her that her dreams are impossible. Each page in this book is filled with luminous rounded images. From the glass butterflies that soar through the air to the moon's face as she lovingly listens to the coyote's song. Juan is also particularly good at lighting. The scenes beside the glassblower furnaces are my personal favorites. I loved how the artist was able to meld together the faces of the Monterrey artists as they stare in wonderment at Elena's fabulous glowing orange glass star. If you would like to be blown away by a book's pictures for a little while, consider being blown away by this one.

There is no getting around the fact that there are not enough picture books in the United States that celebrate aspects of Mexican life. This is one of the few and I for one will be recommending it to every child I come across for the next fiftysome years. It's not the best writing in the world but it may well have the biggest heart. For a perfectly marvelous and beautiful story, consider trying your hand on the magnificent, "Elena's Serenade". It'll make you and your children happy.
3 people found this helpful
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Lady D
5.0 out of 5 stars Thouroughly enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2008
Verified Purchase
The wonderful illustrations and clever story about a girl's fantastical journey to prove her ability to do a "man's work" has quickly made it to the favorites in our home library. I can imagine the inspiration it may offer a young girl, but having only a son...I share it with him in hopes that he appreciates early on gender equality. He enjoys the art and the musical aspect of the story.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is very fun to read. The book is particulary empowering for little girls and for women who have been told they can't do something just because of their gender. I love how the spanish words help emphasize some parts of the story. Illustrations are stunning!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Follow your dreams!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2016
Verified Purchase
My class have loved it. Uplifting message.
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Sandra Ruth
5.0 out of 5 stars Tolles Buch
Reviewed in Germany on March 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
Dieses Buch ist sehr schön geschrieben. Das kleine mexikanische Mädchen Elena möchte gerne, wie ihr Vater, das Handwerk des Glasbläsers erlernen. Der Vater tut dies aber mit der Begründung, das sei nur ein Beruf für Jungs/Männer, ab. Elena gibt aber nicht so einfach auf. Sie glaubt daran, dass sie Glasbläserin werden kann. So macht sie sich, als Junge verkleidet, auf den Weg nach Monterrey, wo sie ihren Traumberuf erlernt.
Die Geschichte ermutigt Mädchen, dass man alles schaffen kann wenn man nur an sich glaubt.
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