Join us in celebrating MANOLO & the UNICORN book birthday! We sat down with Jackie Azúa to learn all about the inspiration behind this book co-authored with Jonah Kramer.
But first, a little bit about this picture book: To Manolo the world is a magical place—a place where he searches for the most magical creature of all: a unicorn. Manolo loves unicorns. When the Wild Animal Parade is announced at school, and Manolo declares that he will come as his favorite animal, his classmates say there is no such thing as unicorns, making the world feel ordinary. That is, until Manolo meets a real unicorn—wild and graceful—and discovers that the world is truly extraordinary.
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Join us in celebrating Our Roof Is Blue (also in Spanish Nuestro Techo es Azul) book birthday! We sat down with Musa Sara E. Echenique to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about Our Roof Is Blue. Our Roof is Blue/Nuestro Techo Es Azul is a heartfelt story of resilience following two siblings who support each other as they recover and rebuild after Hurricane Maria destroys their home in Puerto Rico. Children’s Literature called it “a very real, emotional, and heartwarming book," and Kirkus noted that “healing, both physical and emotional, is eased through the power of story. Join us in celebrating PLÁTANOS ARE LOVE book birthday! We sat down with Musa Alyssa Reynoso-Morris to learn all about the inspiration behind this book. But first, a little bit about Plátanos Are Love: A delicious picture book about the ways plantains shape Latinx culture, community, and family, told through a young girl’s experiences in the kitchen with her abuela. Abuela says, “plátanos are love.” I thought they were food. But Abuela says they feed us in more ways than one. With every pop of the tostones, mash of the mangú, and sizzle of the maduros, a little girl learns that plátanos are her history, they are her culture, and—most importantly—they are love. Join us in celebrating Brazil's book birthday! We sat down with Musa Ana Siqueira to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about BRAZIL. Let's spend a day in Brazil! Ride the ônibus to the beach, drink sugar cane juice at the feira, and play capoeira. Brazilian author Ana Siquiera and illustrator Ana Matsusaki draw on their personal experiences living in Brazil to create this appealing board book as part of the Our World Series for very young readers. Join us in celebrating COOL GREEN: AMAZING, REMARKABLE TREES book birthday! We sat down with Musa Lulu Delacre to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees (simultaneously published in Spanish VERDE FRESCO: ÁRBOLES ASOMBROSOS Y EXTRAORDINARIOS). COOL GREEN: AMAZING, REMARKABLE TREES is a portrait of some of the world's most incredible trees, seen through the eyes of a landscaper who loves them--and his granddaughter who is beginning to understand why. Join us in celebrating the THE WITCH AND THE VAMPIRE book birthday! Francesca Flores, the author, shares with us all about the inspiration behind her story! But first, a little bit about this young adult novel: THE WITCH AND THE VAMPIRE IS a queer Rapunzel retelling where a witch and a vampire who trust no one but themselves must journey together through a cursed forest with danger at every turn. Join us in celebrating the TURTLES of the MIDNIGHT MOON book birthday! We sat down with María José Fitzgerald to learn all about the inspiration behind the book!
But first, a little bit about this new middle grade novel: Twelve-year-old Barana lives in a coastal village in Honduras, where she spends every spare minute visiting the sea turtles that nest on the beach. Abby is feeling adrift in sixth grade, trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs after her best friend moved away from New Jersey. When Abby’s papi plans a work trip to Honduras, she is finally given the opportunity to see his homeland—with Barana as her tour guide. But Barana has other plans: someone has been poaching turtle eggs, and she’s determined to catch them! Before long, Abby and Barana are both consumed by the mystery, chasing down suspects, gathering clues, and staking out the beach in the dead of night. . . . Will they find a way to stop the poachers before it’s too late? Join us in celebrating the book birthday of JOVITA WORE PANTS, The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter!
We sat down with award-winning Musa Aida Salazar to learn all about the inspiration behind this book. But first, a little bit about Jovita Wore Pants: Jovita dreamed of wearing pants! She hated the big skirts Abuela made her wear. She wanted to scale the tallest mesquite tree on her rancho, ride her horse, and feel the wind curl her face into a smile. When her father and brothers joined the Cristero War to fight for religious freedom, Jovita wanted to go, too. Forbidden, she defied her father's rules - and society's - and found a clever way to become a trailblazing revolutionary, wearing pants! This remarkable true story about a little-known maverick Mexican heroine is brought vividly to life by her great-niece and Américas Award-winner Aida Salazar, and Eisner Award-honoree Molly Mendoza. Join us in celebrating THE ENCHANTED LIFE OF VALENTINA MEJIA book birthday! We sat down with debut Musa Alexandra Alessandri to learn all about the inspiration behind this book.
But first, a little bit about The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía: Twelve-year-old Valentina wants to focus on drawing the real world around her and hopefully get into art school in Bogotá one day, but Papi has spent his life studying Colombia’s legendary creatures and searching for proof of their existence. So when Papi hears that a patasola—a vampire woman with one leg—has been sighted in the Andes, Valentina and her younger brother Julián get dragged along on another magical creature hunt.While they’re in the Andes, a powerful earthquake hits. Valentina and Julián fall through the earth…and find an alternate Colombia where, to Valentina’s shock, all the legends are real. To get home, Valentina and Julián must make a treacherous journey to reach this land’s ruler: the madremonte, mother and protector of the earth. She controls the only portal back to the human world—but she absolutely hates humans, and she’ll do anything to defend her land. Today, we're thrilled to reveal the cover for The Moonlit Vine and Claro de luna by Elizabeth Santiago, with cover art by Laylie Frazier and interior art by McKenzie Mayle. This young adult novel (pubbing on May 30, 2023 from Tu Books, an imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS INC.) places Taíno people and culture into a living, modern-day story—the first of its kind for middle-grade and high school readers. A little bit about the book: 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? There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she's left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage. 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. Elizabeth says: When I saw the cover, I gasped. What had been in my head all those months had been perfectly captured by Laylie Frazier, the artist. From the way Taína, my main character, looked, to the glare on her glasses, the blue nail polish, the vibrant background colors reminiscent of Borinquén/Puerto Rico, to the moon glowing majestically toward the reader. It is everything I had imagined and more. I am thrilled that The Moonlit Vine/Claro de Luna is making its debut and in awe of the beautiful artwork. Elizabeth Santiago is a fiction writer, creative writing teacher and narrative coach. She obtained her PhD in Educational Studies from Lesley University, Master of Education from Harvard University, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College. Her first loves remain creative writing and teaching, never losing her desire to create characters based on her beloved community, or support students in leveraging storytelling to be better overall writers. She lives in Boston. Visit her online at theuntoldnarratives.com, or on GoodReads. Follow her on Twitter & Instagram at @LizNarratives. Pre-order The Moonlit Vine via the links below:
Pre-order Claro de luna via the links below: Add The Moonlit Vine to your Want-to-Read List on GoodReads! Add Claro de luna to your Want-to-Read List on GoodReads! |
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