Today we’re thrilled to reveal the cover for Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas, written by Alexandra Alessandri and illustrated by Anastasiya Kanavaliuk, which releases on May 21, 2024 from Beaming Books.
A little about the book: Kindness can be shown during even the harshest of storms. Shutters rattled. Wind howled. As a ferocious hurricane descends upon her town, Lupita finds two baby birds who have fallen out of their nest and brings them inside to shelter them from the storm. While Lupita and her family wait out the tempest, she focuses on protecting the palomitas to alleviate her own fears and hopes she can soon reunite them with their mother. Perfect for families living in hurricane-prone states or with children who have storm-related anxieties, Lupita's Hurricane Palomitas offers a gentle, soothing story about extending a hand of kindness to others even while facing fears of our own. The book includes Spanish-language vocabulary words and a glossary in the back.
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Join us in celebrating Only for a Little While book birthday! We sat down with Musa Gabriela Orozco Belt to learn all about the inspiration behind her book. But first, a little bit about this picture book: A heartwarming picture book with Spanish words woven in, about a father helping his daughter adjust when they temporarily have to move in with extended family. When Maribel's family has to move in with Tía Carmen because Papi lost his job, Maribel and her sister feel unsettled. It’s not always easy sharing a room or being in a house full of loud cousins, but Papi reminds the girls that it’s only por un ratito—just for a little while. In the meantime, there is always someone to play with, the mealtimes are filled with music and laughter, and bedtime is for snuggling in tight. Maribel realizes that maybe being there por un ratito isn’t so bad after all. From debut author Gabriela Orozco Belt and artist Richy Sánchez Ayala comes a moving story about family and change—and how love is always the constant. Happy Book Birthday to Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities6/13/2023 Join us in celebrating Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities book birthday! We sat down with Musa Ismée Williams to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about this anthology: When identities cross boundaries, with love that knows no bounds. From platonic and romantic love to grief and heartbreak, these stories explore navigating life at the intersection of identities, and what it means to grow up surrounded by a multitude of traditions, languages, cultures, and interpersonal dynamics. Returning to a father’s homeland. Trying to fit in at chaotic weddings and lavish birthday parties where not all are welcome. Processing grief at family gatherings. Figuring out how to share the news of a new relationship with loved ones. This collection celebrates multicultural and multiracial characters at the helm of their own narratives, as they approach life with a renewed sense of hope and acceptance. Join us in celebrating TUMBLE on its book birthday! We sat down with Musa Adriana Hernández Bergstrom to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit TUMBLE. Wind blows. Tumble goes. Fence stops. Tumble hops. Cactus waves. Tumble stays, and stays, and stays. Using simple, succinct text and richly colored art, Adriana Hernandez Bergstrom follows one tumbleweed on its journey across a desert unexpectedly teaming with life. Tumble is an incredible read-aloud perfect for storytime or newly independent readers. Extensive backmatter identifies every plant and animal featured in the book and provides more information on the misunderstood tumbleweed and its ecosystem. Join us in celebrating A Girl Can Build Anything! We sat down with Musa e.E. Charlton-Trujillo to learn all about the inspiration behind the picture book.
But first, a little bit about A Girl Can Build Anything. Have you ever dreamed of building something? Maybe something small—like a birdhouse? Or something big—like a skyscraper? A Girl Can Build Anything is a celebration of those dreams and all the different ways girls can create from tinkering to tool wielding, from ideas on paper to lived-out dreams with brick and mortar. This empowering ode to self expression will inspire readers to see the value and possibility in their imagination. To realize they can build anything! Join us in celebrating The Moonlit Vine book birthday! We sat down with Musa Elizabeth Santiago to learn all about the inspiration behind this book. But first, a little bit about this novel: Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they? A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.
Join us in celebrating Hispanic Star: Selena Gomez book birthday! We sat down with Karla Valenti to learn all about the inspiration behind the book! But first, a little bit about this biography for young readers: Meet Selena Gomez—actress, singer, producer, social media mogul, activist, and a powerful voice raising awareness on mental health struggles in young people. Launched into stardom at a very young age, Selena knows all to well the challenges of navigating the world’s expectations while staying true to who you are. In this biography, readers will gain insights into the often-turbulent life of this remarkable Hispanic star who not only found a way to face (and overcome) numerous personal and professional challenges, but became an inspiration to millions around the world. This book is part of the Hispanic Stars biography series, in collaboration with Claudia Romo Edelman and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, featuring groundbreaking Hispanic and Latinx heroes who have made remarkable contributions to American culture and have been undeniable forces in shaping its future. Spanish version translated by fellow Musa, Terry Catasús Jennings. Join us in celebrating RUBI RAMOS's RECIPE FOR SUCCESS book birthday! We sat down with Musa Jessica Parra to learn all about the inspiration behind her book. But first, a little bit about this novel: Graduation is only a few months away, and Rubi Ramos’s “recipe for success” to get into prestigious Alma University is already off track.When Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, Rubi will need to be distraction-free to make the grade and keep her parents―who have wanted this for her for years―from finding out. Which means falling for her cute surfer-slash-math tutor, Ryan, definitely won’t work. And neither will breaking her mother’s ban on baking―her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.But some recipes are begging to be tampered with. When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. Add to the mix her crush on Ryan may be turning into a full-fledged relationship and Rubi’s life is suddenly so different from what it was. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to win the Bake Off, or where the relationship with Ryan is going, but there’s only one way to find out―even if it means going against her parents’ priorities. Now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds and finding the path she’s meant for. What 3 words would you use to describe your book? Joyful, Yummy, Love. Because the story does deal with meatier issues such as diaspora, classism, and honoring familial legacy, it was very important for me to keep joy at the center of Rubi’s journey. As daughter of immigrant parents, I know how difficult it is to navigate life between the hyphens. I also know how honoring the sacrifices our parents made for us can sometimes come at the cost of our own dreams. So I was very intentional of always centering joy in exploring how a teen could find a way to combine duty and passion instead of choosing one over the other. Again, being a diaspora kid, I’ve never been to Cuba. Cuban cuisine has been the main way for me to connect with that part of my heritage. I don’t know when—or if—I’ll ever get to visit the island, but I can access part of it through food. Writing the food scenes, I often pictured baking with family members I’ve never met, or remembered cooking with my dad as a teen. I tried to pour the feeling of longing, love, and hope into each of those scenes. So far the reception on the baking has been great, and the book will feature several of Rubi’s recipes! While so much of Rubi’s story is about expressing and sharing parts of your history and honoring legacies through food. And it’s also about love. First love, the love of friends, and the love for family (no matter how complicated it is). What was the most challenging part of the publication process with this story? The most challenging part of publication was reconciling Dreams becoming Deadlines. While there are a lot of artistic components of publication, pursuing publication is very different than “writing.” Pursuing publications means engaging in a corporate, commercial enterprise and as such, I could no longer enjoy long stretches of discovery writing, or fully indulge my cravings to pants my way through revisions of RUBI—let alone drafting and revising book 2. Learning how to draft and revise fast was challenging, but I’m glad I stuck to it because I proved to myself that I could became a better plotter and draft faster than I have in the past. What message are you hoping readers will take take away from this story? I created Rubi when I needed a reminder that I could change the “recipe of my life.” No matter how hard it’d been for my parents to obtain some of the “ingredients" for me, no matter how much time I’d invested in “baking” them, it was okay for me to adjust it. Or even start from scratch. This is the heart of the book, and one I wish I could say to every young person (and those simply young at heart)—life is what you bake it. I wanted this book to be a testament to that, but also to how wherever there’s a whisk, there’s a way. Honoring your legacies while also finding your own path is possible—writing Rubi, her parents, and her friends finding theirs was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I hope readers will enjoy the ride of these characters finding love, expressing and sharing parts of themselves and their history through food, and of sifting through dreams in order to learn not just to survive but to thrive; I hope they’ll laugh, reach for an extra slice of cake; but mostly I hope they’ll be reminded that they can always tamper with the recipes their lives—and that there is never an expiration date for creating new ones. What comes next for you as an author? I’m finishing up revisions on my next YA contemporary, out next summer with Wednesday Books. I can’t share too many details yet, but it’s about a Latinx teen event planner who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—after loss. I had a blast diving DEEP into my love of Disney Princesses and Star Wars with that one! While there is a romance thread, the heart of the book revolves around two sisters, Castillo and Mariposa, and Cas’s journey of going from planner to participant in her own life. She may or may not be inspired by one of favorite J Lo characters btw! 👀 I can’t wait to share more later this year! What books are on your to-be-read list? Angela Montoya’s Sinner’s Isle. On my Goodreads review reads: Come for the pirates, stay for toppling the patriarchy!!!! With lush writing and swashbuckling (& swoony) adventures, Sinner’s Isle had me singing: Yo ho, yo ho(e), a pirate's life for me! I read a very early draft and I’m sooo excited to see the final version. Romina Garber’s Castle of the Cursed. Romina’s worlds are so beautifully crafted and I can’t wait to lose myself in her next series. I also am so thrilled for Gretchen Schreiber’s Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal. I know it will rip my heart out and then patch it back up again! As a lawyer and daughter of Guatemalan and Cuban bakers, Jessica C. Parra never objects to an extra slice of cake. She’s a Los Angeles native who loves to write about Latinas with big hair (and even bigger dreams), complicated families, cats living their best lives (all nine of them), and the healing magic of acceptance. When she isn’t drafting books you can find her sipping kombucha, cuddling with her kitties, or co-piloting the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge. You can visit Jessica at jessicaparra.com and on Instagram at @jessicatparra. As a lawyer and daughter of Guatemalan and Cuban bakers, Jessica C. Parra never objects to an extra slice of cake. She’s a Los Angeles native who loves to write about Latinas with big hair (and even bigger dreams), complicated families, cats living their best lives (all nine of them), and the healing magic of acceptance. When she isn’t drafting books you can find her sipping kombucha, cuddling with her kitties, or co-piloting the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge. You can visit Jessica at jessicaparra.com and on Instagram at @jessicatparra. Join us in celebrating The Weight of Everything's book birthday! We sat down with Musa Marcia Argueta Mickelson to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about this novel. It’s been six months since Sarah’s mom died. Three months since her dad fell apart. Sarah has left her fine arts boarding school to take care of her dad and her little brother. She has no time for art, unless she’s cranking out a piece to sell online for some grocery money. And she definitely doesn’t have the time or the emotional energy to find out if her sweet, handsome classmate, David Garza, could be more than a friend. But then a school art project prompts Sarah to delve into her mom’s Mexican and Guatemalan roots. As she learns more about this side of her heritage, Sarah starts to understand her mom better―and starts to face her own grief. Join us in celebrating Ander & Santi Were Here's book birthday! We sat down with Musa Jonny Garza Villa to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about this much buzzed about novel. Ander & Santi Were Here is a story of love—communal, familial, platonic, and romantic—of art and culture and food, and of home as not only place but of people. It follows Ander, a non-binary muralist taking a gap year before moving to Chicago to attend art school, who falls for Santi, the newest waiter at their family’s taquería, and a romance made complicated when ICE visits the restaurant and Santi is a potential target. |
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