We immediately fell in love with the cover art, and could not wait to ask you, what is this book about? 
This book is a moving portrait of the absence lost loved ones leave in our lives—and the food traditions that keep their memories from fading. Lila and her Abuelo Carlos miss Abuela Ana. Without the sound of her laughter, the rhythm of her dancing, or the aromas of her cooking, home just isn’t the same. So Lila devises a plan to hold onto every detail she can remember. She and Abuelo will make Abuela’s signature dish—sancocho! Off to the market they go, guided by a faded recipe that takes them through the stalls, where each ingredient sparks a warm memory. As Lila and her abuelo learn to lean on each other, Abuela’s words help them recreate a dish that tastes like love. When We Find Her is a contemporary picture book (ages 4-8). 

Read more after the break ...

We are delighted to welcome Lulu Delacre and hear all about the newest addition to her Rafi and Rosi book series! Let's dive in. 

Lulu, what is this beautiful, beginner reader book about? 
Rafi and Rosi, the curious, fun-loving tree frog siblings, are cooking up a storm with delicious Puerto Rican treats on the menu. 
​
Rafi and his younger sister, Rosi, are excited to help Abuela make her holiday order for sixty pasteles, a traditional Puerto Rican root vegetable dish. When Abuela discovers she is missing one key ingredient, Rafi and Rosi set out to buy it. On the way back they get to make crunchy arañitas and at home they learn Abuela's secret recipe for yummy guava shells in syrup. Later, when their friends can't come to help make the pasteles, Rafi and Rosi save the day, and the best Pasteles Making Party ensues! 

Engaging and informative, this book is perfect for newly independent readers. Children will enjoy Rafi and Rosi's explorations of some of their favorite foods.

Read more after the link ...

Today we celebrate the release of BOLD, BRILLIANT, AND LATINE written by Musa Alyssa Reynoso-Morris and illustrated by Sol Cotti. We checked in with Alyssa to learn more about the book:

Inspire the next generation of changemakers with this celebratory biography anthology of 52
Latine and Hispanic heroes. In Bold, Brilliant and Latine, young Latine and Hispanic children
can see themselves reflected in 52 heroes from the past and present, whom everyone can
look up to.

From sporting legends to fashion icons, political leaders to fearless changemakers,
as well as renowned writers, musicians, artists, scientists, and more, these heroes’ lives are
vividly recounted by queer award-winning Dominican and Puerto Rican storyteller Alyssa
Reynoso-Morris and brought to life by Argentinian illustrator Sol Cotti’s artwork. Kids will find
motivation in the stories of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (politician, youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress), Lionel Messi (superstar soccer player), Sonia Sotomayor (US Supreme Court Justice), Frida Kahlo (iconic artist), Cesar Chavez (activist and labor leader), Ellen Ochoa (first Latina astronaut in space) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (actor, composer, creator of Broadway musicals).

A heartwarming and empowering book for Latine and Hispanic children and families, this
anthology is also ideal for homeschoolers and educators looking to diversify their
perspectives through Latine and Hispanic history and achievements, with one new figure to
explore each week of the year. Proud, talented, and boundless, these extraordinary men and
women will inspire readers of all backgrounds to chase their dreams… whatever they may be.

Read more after the link...

Today we celebrate the series launch of Terry C. Jenning's CAMI CAMPOS. We sat down with Terry to learn more about this series.

Grumpy Cami Campos is always getting in a mess-mostly of her own making. How she gets herself out of these messes, real and imagined, is the source of hilarity--from dealing with a splinter in her butt and a baby brother’s blow out at the posaditas pageant; to saving snakes around St. Patrick’s Day; to finding the true history of America’s Thanksgiving.

With a diverse cast of characters, the six-book chapter book series follows Cami as she finds solutions and navigates American holidays within the backdrop of her Cuban and Latine customs, exploring the intersection of culture, family, and sense of self.

Read more after the link...

We are delighted to welcome Hilda Eunice Burgo as she celebrates her newest book, Bodega Cats: Pawsome Pals. 

Hilda, welcome to this Las Musas blog interview. Please tell us about this fun project.
This illustrated middle grade book is told in two points of view: 11-year-old Gregory, and Amber the cat. Baseball means everything to Gregory. It feels like he’s flying when he hits a home run, and it also reminds him of summers spent playing with his cousin in the Dominican Republic. But when an accident benches him for the rest of the season, he’s doomed to sit around his parents’ bodega every afternoon and weekend. For stray cat Amber, who was born with a missing leg and left on the street as a kitten, life has always been about staying away from danger, keeping her belly full, and finding joy in the little things. When she spots a human boy whose leg is broken she remembers what it’s like to need help when you feel lost and alone. How far will these two go to make a friend when they need one most?

Sandra, welcome to this Las Musas blog interview. Please tell us about this project.
In this Latinx YA fantasy debut inspired by El Zorro, Lola de La Peña becomes the masked heroine Salvación in order to save her family and town from a man who would destroy it for the magic it contains ... if she doesn’t fall in love with a boy in his company first.

​Today we celebrate the book birthday of Musa Jackie Morera's wonderful new book, Together We Remember, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación. We sat down with Jackie to learn more about this book. 

Together We Remember is a fiction picture book about imagination, the power of memories, and the “why” behind daydreaming. It follows a girl and her father as they embark on an imagination adventure that includes rainforest hikes, intergalactic planet-hopping, and most of all, remembering Mami through her favorite activity—creating stories and memories together.

“An imaginative journey through grief, love, and the promise of adventures yet to come.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In Morera and Encarnación’s wistful bilingual story, imagination-fueled play helps ‘chase the
blues away’ for a father and child…loving work about a family’s bond.” —Publishers Weekly

Read more after the link...

Today we celebrate the book birthday of Welcome Home, Esmerelda / Bienvenida a casa, Esmerelda (out in both English and Spanish!) by Musa Daniela Ramirez and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. We sat down with Daniela to learn more about this book. 

Papa's job in the military has taken Esmerelda and her family all over the world—and yet she's
never lived in the United States. Now she and her family are moving to San Antonio, Texas. Although many of her extended family members live there, Esmerelda is unsure it'll feel like home. Even more, she's unsure she will fit in. Gradually, music and her sweet abuela spark
bravery and the realization that home is not always a place—it's familia.

Heartwarming and hopeful, Welcome Home, Esmerelda will provide reassurance to any kid that while moving and change are difficult, you have the support of loved ones to help you through it.

Learn more about this heart-warming book after the link...

​Help us celebrate the book birthday of Musa Eliza Kinkz's delightful new book, ¡MISTACO! We sat down with Eliza to learn more about this book. 

After an awful day at school, Izzy wants to be left alone. But it’s Friday, and that means making tortillas with Lito. As the mistakes pile up, they come tumbling out of Izzy—and Lito surprises her by saying everyone makes mistakes, and if she makes a tortilla out of
her mistakes, he will EAT it. Suddenly, the whole family is confessing and getting mistakes off their chests with a feast of mistacos!

What a clever plot! Read more after the link...