Cover Reveal: VAMPIRITA AND THE ANGRY MOB / VAMPIRITA Y LA TURBA ENFURECIDA

​Today, we're thrilled to share the cover to Vampirita and the Angry Mob / Vampirita y la turba enfurecida​, written by Mariana Llanos, illustrated by Laura Brenlla, and published by Reycraft Books. 

Here's the scoop on Vampirita:
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Vampirita's life takes an unexpected turn when she swaps Lima, Peru, for Sunny City, California. Join her in this whimsical tale, navigating the challenges of fitting into a town that's a far cry from her eerie hometown. Will Vampirita's mischievous plan to bring spooky back succeed, or will she discover unexpected enchantment in the seemingly mundane?

What you'll find in this book:

• Gothic Humor Unleashed: Experience the humor as Vampirita finds herself in a not-so-spooky environment, attempting to inject a dose of the macabre into her life in Sunny City, California.
• Navigating New Norms: Witness Vampirita's attempts to adapt to her new surroundings as she contends with the challenges of being caught between her eerie upbringing and the mundane reality of her new life, all while balancing the complexities of her divorced parents' differing expectations.
• Cultural Clashes: Follow Vampirita's hilarious escapades as she grapples with the cultural differences between her vibrant hometown of Lima, Peru, and the seemingly ordinary Sunny City. Cricket and worm empanadas? Not here!
• Mischievous Machinations: Join Vampirita and her reluctant friends as they cook up a mischievous plan to shake up the monotony and get her family chased out of town—pitchforks and torches included!
• Annoyingly Nice Neighbors: Discover the quirks of Vampirita's next-door neighbors, August and Molly, who prove to be more sweet than spooky. Will their kindness thwart Vampirita's plans, or is there more to Sunny City than meets the eye?
• Spooky Surprises: Will Vampirita's scheme to bring spookiness back to her life succeed,or will she uncover unexpected enchantment in Sunny City?

And now, check out this gorgeous cover!

Mariana says:
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I got the idea for the main character, Vampirita, one day when I was attending an online SCBWI conference during the early months of the pandemic. One of the editors giving the workshop mentioned how she would like to see more Latino fantasy characters, like vampires and such. Immediately, the name Vampirita popped in my head.

The next day, I set out to write a picture book. But after what is now the first chapter, I realized this wasn’t a picture book! However, it took me months to come up with the whole story. I only had the first chapter, some cool characters and the idea of the conflict. When I finally got to write it, I had the whole structure planned. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!

Pre order the English version of Vampirita:
Amazon
Bookshop
Barnes and Noble

Pre order the Spanish version of Vampirita:
Amazon
Bookshop
Barnes and Noble

Photo credit: Alana Chirinos

BIO
Mariana Llanos is a children’s books writer, poet, and translator. Born in Lima, Peru, she’s the author of several books including the 2024 Pura Belpre Honor Book Benita y las criaturas nocturnas / Benita and the Night Creatures, and the 2022 Oklahoma Book Award winner Run Little Chaski / Corre Pequeño Chaski (Barefoot Books 2021). Other titles include Luca's Bridge / El puente de Luca (2021 ALSC Notable Book Awards), Eunice and Kate (Paterson Prize Books for Young Readers) Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess (Campoy-Ada Awards), the audio story Qoritika and the Three Alpacas, featured on Tiny Tales by Pampers Podcast produced by Sony Music Entertainment. among others. In 2017, Mariana received the Oklahoma Human Rights Award for her work visiting schools in different countries around the world through virtual technology. That same year she was selected as the Best Latino Artist by the Hispanic Arts Council of Oklahoma. Her upcoming books include two chapter book series, Vampirita (2024) and Martina and her Bright Star (2025) with Reycraft Books. She’s a co-founder of LatinxPitch, a virtual event that boosts the representation of Latino creatives in the children’s publishing industry and co-chair of the Latino Committee for the Firehouse Arts Center in Norman Oklahoma. In addition to writing,  Mariana is an experienced speaker who visits schools regularly. She resides in Oklahoma City with her children.

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