Happy Book Birthday to On The Line: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette10/31/2023
 Today we celebrate the book birthday of On the Line: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette. We sat down with Musa Lissette Norman to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about the book: ON THE LINE: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette written by Jennifer Jones and Lissette Norman and illustrated by Robert Paul, Jr. Dancing has always made her feel free, like she can do anything. But when Jennifer was a child, some people didn’t think that she had a future as a dancer because of the color of her skin. With the support of her family, especially her mother, she proved that anything is possible when you believe you belong. On the Line is a captivating true story about manifesting your dreams.  Today we celebrate the book birthday of Dreams Of Green: A Three Kings' Day Story. We sat down with Musa Mariel Jungkunz to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about the book: It’s eleven days after Christmas and Lucia yearns to be in lush Puerto Rico celebrating Día de los Reyes with family and friends. But this year, instead of dancing and singing in the parrandas of her Puerto Rican neighborhood, she is surrounded by cold and silence in snow-blanketed Ohio. How will she ever be able to guide the Three Kings to her new home in the frosty Midwest? This picture book is a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, heartwarming family tradition, and a reminder that we all carry a piece of home with us wherever life may take us. Today we’re thrilled to reveal the cover for Alexandra Alessandri’s new middle grade novel, Grow Up, Luchy Zapata, which releases on July 23, 2024 from Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Grow Up, Luchy Zapata is a funny, relatable middle school drama about two Colombian American girls who have always been BFFs—until sixth grade turns everything upside down. About the book: Luchy Zapata is starting sixth grade, and she’s muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Luchy and Mateo will be in art class together, and she and Cami can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they’re all together, Luchy can handle anything. But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She’s making new, “cool” friends who just seem mean. And suddenly, everything about Luchy and Mateo is too immature for her. Luchy is determined to help Cami remember how special their friendship is. They’ve been BFFs their whole lives, and that can’t just disappear in a poof of glitter! But…what if Cami doesn’t even want to be friends anymore?  Illustration by Rose Bousamra; Design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover From Alexandra: Rose Bousamra’s cover is epic! When I first saw it, I was blown away by all the details they included in the illustration, from Luchy’s leggings and soccer ball to Cami’s bracelets in Colombian colors to the stance and title between the two best friends. And check out the full jacket cover!  Illustration by Rose Bousamra; Design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover It’s stunning! The mood and characters and setting of this story are captured beautifully in Rose’s art. I can’t wait to see the finished book–and I can’t wait for all of you to read this story of my heart, about art-loving, soccer-obsessed Luchy whose middle school dreams go up in a poof of glitter when her BFF returns from a summer in Colombia and ditches her for the cool kids, leaving Luchy to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Where to preorder: You can preorder Grow Up, Luchy Zapata today wherever books are sold, including:
For more about Alexandra and her books, visit http://alexandraalessandri.com or find her on Instagram or Twitter.  Today we celebrate the book birthday of Diego & Frida: A Bilingual Book. We sat down with Musa illustrator Ellia Ana Hill to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about the book: Introduce your little ones in English and Spanish to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, known together as the Elephant and the Dove. Who’s your other half, your media naranja? Medias Naranjas: Diego & Frida will introduce your little ones to two of Mexico's iconic figures and the friendship that united them. Muralist Diego Rivera and artist Frida Kahlo were each other's muses and peculiar halves. This iconic, creative couple has left the art world ablaze with their murals, paintings and love stories.  Today we celebrate the book birthday of Our World Argentina. We sat down with Musa Aixa Pérez-Prada to learn all about the inspiration behind her book.
But first, a little bit about Aixa’s new book: OUR WORLD ARGENTINA is a colorful and lively hymingboard book that celebrates a day in the life of an Argentine toddler as he enjoys the city of Buenos Aires with his two moms. It features foods, locations, and activities commonly spotted in the city such as medialunas, mate, tango dancers, the local feria, and all sorts of public transportation. The book is Illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson.  Today we celebrate the book birthday of Mari And The Curse of El Cocodrilo. We sat down with Musa Adrianna Cuevas to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about Adrianna's new book: If Mari Feijoo could, she would turn her family’s Peak Cubanity down a notch, just enough so that her snooping neighbor and classmate Mykenzye wouldn’t have anything to tease her about. That’s why this year, there’s no way that Mari’s joining in on one of the big-gest Feijoo family traditions—burning the New Year’s Eve effigy her abuela makes. Only Mari never suspects that failing to toss her effigy in the fire would bring something much worse than sneering words at school: a curse of bad luck from El Cocodrilo. Instead of focusing on her mariachi band tryout, Mari and her friends Keisha and Juan Carlos are racing against the clock to break the curse. But when Mari discovers her family’s gift to call upon their ancestors, she and her friends will have to find a way to work with the unexpected help that arrives from the far corners of Mari’s family tree. Only will it be enough to defeat El Cocodrilo before he makes their last year of elementary school the worst ever and tears their friendship apart?  Today we celebrate the book birthday of Countdown for Nochebuena. We sat down with Musa Adriana Hernández Bergstrom to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about the book: This charming, bouncy text that alternates between English and Spanish and counts holiday elements like dancers, singers, and special foods up to twelve—to midnight, when Christmas Eve turns to Christmas and presents are opened!—and back down again, pairs perfectly with its illustrative context clues. In this story, family members young and old are excited to gather in their best festive clothes to celebrate Nochebuena, a Christmas Eve celebration for Latine people around the world. Simple yet lyrical text inspired by the author-illustrator's Cuban American heritage combines with a warm art style perfect for celebrating the holiday. |
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