Jan 24 2022

Researching and Writing Historical Fiction with Gloria Amescua and Alda P. Dobbs

Interview by Romy Natalia Goldberg

This past fall brought the publication of two fascinating books set during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA, a historical middle grade novel by Alda P. Dobbs (Sourcebooks Young Readers, September, 2021) and CHILD OF THE FLOWER-SONG PEOPLE: LUZ JIMÉNEZ, DAUGHTER OF THE NAHUA, a picture book biography written by Gloria Amescua and illustrated by award winning illustrator, Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers, August, 2021). Both Texas-based authors took the time out of their busy debut schedules to talk to us about their processes for researching and writing children’s books based on historic events and real people.

Romy Natalia Goldberg: Both your main characters, Petra and Luz, learn of their indigenous ancestor’s beliefs through their grandparents, who, in turn, learned from their own grandparents. Can you talk a little about researching beliefs and traditions, especially those that were predominantly passed down orally?

Alda P. Dobbs: First, I’d like to thank you, Natalia, for interviewing me. It’s an honor! A lot of the beliefs and traditions in the story were handed down orally by elders in my family. Others, I had to research. I found myself reading many books on curanderismo and stories that were recorded by Spanish priests who interviewed indigenous people during colonial times. Everything was so fascinating it was hard to choose what to include in the book while not bogging down the story.

Gloria Amescua: Thankfully, one of the important contributions Luz Jiménez made was to listen to and remember the mythologies and other stories that were passed down orally. The book Life and Death in Milpa Alta: A Nahuatl Chronicle of Diaz and Zapata (translated and edited by Fernando Horcasitas, from the Nahuatl Recollections of Doña Luz Jiménez) was one of my most important resources. Luz told Horcasitas what is in this book over time in Nahuatl. It included not only her childhood and things that she and the Nahua people of Milpa Alta experienced, their traditions and daily life, but also the stories that had been passed down orally. Horcasitas wrote it down phonetically. Milpa Alta hosted the First Aztec Congress, which mainly determined what written Nahuatl should look like in 1940.

What advice can you give for researching historical events? Anything you wish you’d known at the start of this process?

Alda P. Dobbs: This is a great one! I wished I hadn’t been so shy and had asked librarians for help. I spent a lot of time trying to do the research on my own, which wasn’t bad, but I probably reinvented the wheel a couple of times. Having a physics and engineering background, I approached historical research as I would science, and I’ve learned that there’s a better and more efficient way. I would have saved myself time and frustration had I approached a librarian sooner.

Gloria Amescua: I wish I’d been more organized about gathering my information. My main advice is to make sure you get your sources down for everything. You may or may not use what you have read or taken notes on, but be sure to document everything. I keep meaning to learn about one of the several online organizers, but I haven’t yet. My advice is do better than I did. It will keep you from going back to find sources.

Sanborn Map Company. San Antonio 1911 Vol 1, map, 1911; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth549759/: accessed October 15, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Alda, I’ve heard you mention the importance of maps in your research before. Can you talk a little more about your source for maps and how they figured into your writing process?

Maps were essential in my research. I used Sanborn maps, which are old insurance maps made in the 19th and 20th centuries that detail the types of buildings, their structure and use. I crossed referenced these maps with modern Google “street view” maps that allow me to see where the building once stood, or if I’m lucky enough, I could still see the same old building standing. I also used vintage photographs that allowed me to dig deeper into the research and find out where the photograph was taken. All these resources allow me to recreate a map that shows where my character lives, works, goes to school, shops, etc. I used Sanborn maps to recreate an old map of San Antonio, Texas that took up my entire office wall but gave me a sense of my character’s life there in 1913.

What is your system for keeping information organized, easy to access, and backed up?

Alda P. Dobbs: For my research, I kept both electronic files and physical divider tabs that were labeled with the following titles: photographs, maps, newspaper articles, academic papers, books, and of course, miscellaneous. I also kept a journal where I’d write everything down from research notes, to notes I’d take when speaking to librarians or historians. In my journal, I also jotted down ideas for scenes or dialogue or just plain brainstorming. I always backed up all my electronic files using a SSD hard drive.

Gloria Amescua: I wish I had a great system to tell you about. What I did was to create computer files that made sense to me. For instance, I have folders for my revisions by year. Other folders are for the language Nahuatl and images in which Luz appears with lists of all the artwork information and links. I copied articles from the internet as well as their links. Early on, I learned the hard way, since I had a certain link I had a difficult time finding again to an exposition featuring Luz in Mexico City. I used colored flags in my books.

Alda shared a series of photos that inspired and informed PETRA LUNA on her social media platforms

The internet has made research infinitely easier, but examining physical documents and visiting locations firsthand is still a part of the research process. I’m curious which parts of your research happened online and which was more useful or necessary “in real life.”

Alda P. Dobbs: I’d say both online research and “in-person” visits were essential for me. Almost every setting in my book took place in a location I had visited before, so I knew the way the terrain looked, the way it smelled and sounded. The old photographs, which many of them I found online, were essential in adding details to settings or constructing characters.

Gloria Amescua: I didn’t get to visit any places in my book in real life. I would love to visit Milpa Alta and go back to Mexico City to see the murals I saw long ago that included Luz before I knew about her. Of course, without finding a pamphlet at the University of Texas in Austin that was about Luz Jiménez, I wouldn’t have known about her amazing life. The internet was definitely important because I found articles and images for Luz. I also wouldn’t have found my real resources, the books I used, including the one with Luz’s actual words. Through the internet, I also found Dr. Kelly McDonough, Professor of Native American and Indigenous studies at UT, who shared resources. She also introduced me to Luz’s grandson, Jesús Villanueva. Although we have yet to meet in person, Jesús and I corresponded through email. He was invaluable to me as he answered questions and shared booklets he was involved with writing about his grandmother and was part of my book launch!

Jesús Villanueva, grandson of Luz Jiménez, participating in Gloria Amescua’s virtual book launch via The Writing Barn

Gloria, Writing about real people, especially when there are living relatives involved, seems like an intimidating part of the biography process. Can you tell us a little about what it was like to approach and work with Luz’s grandson?

Gloria Amescua: It was somewhat intimidating at first since it was my first book. I told him my qualifications as a poet, teacher, and studies in children’s literature, so he would know I was serious. Dr. Kelly McDonough, who volunteered to introduce us, is Jesús’ friend. They have worked together on projects, and I’m thankful for that gift of an introduction. Jesús Villanueva was as gracious as he could be and shared resources with me. He has few recollections of his grandmother since she passed away when he was very young, so his dedication has been to learn as much as he could. He has promoted her legacy through writing and presentations. He shared these with me. If I were to do it again, I would have kept in touch with him more frequently about the progress or lack of progress in the publishing journey since it took almost eight years.

Is there any one instance when you thought “Thank goodness for the internet!” or “Thank goodness I saw this in person!”? How did that experience improve your story and writing process?

Alda P. Dobbs: Yes, to both! My husband often traveled for work, and it was during the times when my kids napped or slept at night when I found myself doing most of my online searches. I’m also grateful to have met Mr. Tim Blevins, a librarian at the Pikes Peak Library system. He’s the one who introduced me to many wonderful research tools just when I was about to give up!

Gloria Amescua: I’m sure it would have been next to impossible for me to write this story without the internet. I was able to find many of the images of Luz in art that I included in the text as part of what Luz learned as a child, weaving, twisting yarn with her toes, grinding corn, etc. It helped me weave details in the story early on that are echoed in the images of her as a model for artists as an adult. I love that it comes full circle.

Double spread illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh for CHILD OF THE FLOWER-SONG PEOPLE: LUZ JIMÉNEZ, DAUGHTER OF THE NAHUA

The Mexican Revolution brings chaos and fear to the lives of your main characters. Featuring trauma in a children’s book is a delicate matter, made even more challenging when you’re dealing with real events. How did you choose to address the topic and why? What do you hope readers will take away from seeing Petra and Luz navigate the challenges they face?

Alda P. Dobbs: I chose to write about the Mexican Revolution because it’s a topic that’s close to me and it’s also one I’d never seen presented in children’s literature. The conflict itself is very complicated and in it, women and children played many different roles. It was a difficult subject to write about for young readers but thankfully, there are many brilliant, wonderful books who tackle trauma masterfully, like Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars and Avi’s Crispin, to name a few.

Gloria Amescua: The Mexican Revolution changed Luz Jiménez’s life drastically. Her father and the other men were killed, their village destroyed, her education ended so that Luz and her remaining family had to find a way to survive in a new environment. I had to tell about it and not dwell on the hardships but move on quickly to how Luz overcame her struggles, how she found a new way of being herself, proud of being Nahua. The revolution created a powerful change in artists and how they wanted to honor the indigenous people and make art available to everyone in murals as well as paintings, photographs, statues. I hope readers will see how Luz’s strength was believing in herself despite the hardships she had to overcome. She realized her dream of being a teacher in a way she never expected.

What books served as mentor texts for you? Along the same line, are there any authors or illustrators whose methods you found inspiring?

Alda P. Dobbs: I named a couple of books in the previous answer, but other books that helped with structure, pacing, and dialogue were Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games book series and Kate Dicamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie.

Gloria Amescua: I read many, many picture book biographies. I examined every aspect of each of them. A few include Bethany Hegedus and Arun Ghandhi’s Grandfather Ghandi and Be the Change, Melissa Sweet’s Balloons Over Broadway, Duncan Tonatiuh’s Separate is Never Equal and Monica Brown’s Pablo Neruda and Waiting for the Biblioburro. I returned to these over and over as well as many others. They inspired me as I worked on mine, as I worked on structure, language, organization, etc. I especially loved the illustrations and the emotions expressed in the Ghandi books, the Mixtec style in Separate is Never Equal, and Pablo Neruda, where the illustrations include a river of words in trees, leaves, everywhere in English and Spanish. I wanted my book to be as beautiful and important as these books.

Can you talk a little about what learning to read and write symbolizes to your characters, and by extension, what writing and sharing their stories means to you?

Gloria Amescua: Luz wanted to learn to read and teach future generations of “professors, priests, lawyers.” It was a way she could not only improve her life but also that of others. I am honored to share Luz Jiménez’s story because she brought to light the intelligence, beauty, and strength of the Nahua. I admire her resilience and pride in her culture. My writing this book means now many more people will know her and her contributions, her legacy. I hope it will lead readers to learn about other indigenous people as well.

Alda P. Dobbs: Wow, what a great question! During the decade of the Mexican Revolution, in the 1910’s, only 20% of the Mexican population could read and write. My ancestors were part of the 80% who were illiterate. My grandmother, however, was determined to learn to read and write, and despite never having stepped inside a school, she taught herself how to read and write by the time she was twelve. I wanted to create a character with the same courage and determination my grandmother displayed throughout her life.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Gloria Amescua (Ah MES qua) has been a writer since she was a child, writing poems and stories throughout her life. She loves books that reach a young person’s heart, head, or funny bone and strives to do just that in her writing. She is an educator, poet, and children’s book writer. Abrams Books for Young Readers published her picture book biography in verse, Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua, August 17, 2021. Duncan Tonatiuh is the illustrator. An earlier version won the 2016 Lee and Low New Voices Honor Award. A variety of literary journals and anthologies have published Gloria’s poetry. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published one of her poems in their national textbook literature series. Gloria received both her B. A. and M. Ed. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. The grandmother of two amazing granddaughters, Gloria believes in children, pets, and possibilities.

Alda P. Dobbs is the author of the novel Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. She was born in a small town in northern Mexico but moved to San Antonio, Texas as a child. Alda studied physics and worked as an engineer before pursuing her love of storytelling. She’s as passionate about connecting children to their past, their communities, different cultures and nature as she is about writing. Alda lives with her husband and two children outside Houston, Texas.

Romy Natalia Goldberg is a Paraguayan-American travel and kid lit author with a love for stories about culture and communication. Her guidebook to Paraguay, Other Places Travel Guide to Paraguay, was published in 2012 and 2017 and led to work with “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” and The Guardian. She is an active SCBWI member and co-runs Kidlit Latinx, a Facebook support group for Latinx children’s book authors and illustrators.

Jan 17 2022

Book Talk: Stella’s Stellar Hair by Yesenia Moises

We are an affiliate with Indiebound and Bookshop. If If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission.

Welcome to another Book Talk, which can be found on our new YouTube channel!

Here, Dr. Sonia Rodriguez and Dora M. Guzmán talk about STELLA’S STELLAR HAIR by Yesenia Moises.

ABOUT THE BOOK: It’s the day of the Big Star Little Gala, and Stella’s hair just isn’t acting right! What’s a girl to do?

Simple! Just hop on her hoverboard, visit each of her fabulous aunties across the solar system, and find the perfect hairdo along the way.

Stella’s Stellar Hair celebrates the joy of self-empowerment, shows off our solar system, and beautifully illustrates a variety of hairstyles from the African diaspora. Backmatter provides more information about each style and each planet.

Click here to learn more about the author-illustrator: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/12/06/spotlight-on-latina-illustrators-lulu-delacre-cecilia-ruiz-yesenia-moises/

Now, click on the link below to watch the book talk and then add your comments below to join the conversation. ENJOY!

Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez, PhD is an Associate Professor of English at LaGuardia Community College (CUNY) where she teaches composition, literature, and creative writing. Her academic research focuses on decolonial healing in Latinx children’s and young adult literature. Sonia is a Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader.

Dora M. Guzmán is a bilingual reading specialist for grades K-5 and also teaches college courses in Children’s Literature and Teaching Beginning Literacy. She is currently a doctoral student with a major in Reading, Language, and Literacy. When she is not sharing her love of reading with her students, you can find her in the nearest library, bookstore, or online, finding more great reads to add to her never-ending “to read” pile!

Jan 6 2022

January 2022 Latinx Book Releases!

We are an affiliate with Indiebound and Bookshop. If If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission.

In addition to listing 2022 titles by/for/about Latinx on our master list, we will remind readers of what’s releasing each month.

CONGRATULATIONS to these Latinx creators. Let’s celebrate these January book babies!

CAMILA THE DANCING STAR by Alicia Salazar, illustrated by Thais Damiao (Picture Window Books, January 1, 2022). Early Reader. Camila’s dance camp is holding a dance competition. She and her partners are working hard and hoping for a win. Their steps, turns, and twirls look great! But when Camila falls, she twists her ankle and ends up on crutches. Are Camila’s dancing days over for now?

CAMILA THE GAMING STAR by Alicia Salazar, illustrated by Thais Damiao (Picture Window Books, January 1, 2022). Early Reader. Camila wants to buy some new video equipment, so when she hears about a video game tournament, she sees her chance to win big money. Her brother and sister help her perfect her gaming skills, but will it be enough to make her into a winning video game star?

CAMILA THE SINGING STAR by Alicia Salazar, illustrated by Thais Damiao (Picture Window Books, January 1, 2022). Early Reader. Camila has entered a singing competition and she knows that she wants to sing her family’s favorite song; but when it comes to actually competing Camila is very nervous about the size of the audience and being in the spotlight–but Camila knows her family is there and that she can use that knowledge to overcome her stage fright. Includes artistic activity.

CAMILA THE TALENT SHOW STAR by Alicia Salazar, illustrated by Thais Damiao (Picture Window Books, January 1, 2022). Early Reader. Every year Camila’s school has a talent show, and Camila wants to sing her favorite song; but Ruby, a new girl, has already signed up to sing the same song and Camila is so mad she decides not to compete at all–until Ruby suggests that they sing together, and Camila discovers sometimes two voices are better than one. Includes suggestions for creating your own talent show.

Cover for The Doomed Search for the Lost City of Z

THE DOOMED SEARCH FOR THE LOST CITY OF Z by Cindy L. Rodriguez, illustrated by Martín Bustamante (Capstone Press, January 1, 2022). Graphic Novel. Percy Fawcett was a mapmaker and an adventurer. In the early 1900s, he spent years mapping out the jungles of South America. Fawcett became obsessed with the idea of a lost city of gold hidden deep in the jungle. At the age of 57, Fawcett, his 21-year-old son Jack, and Jack’s friend Raleigh Rimell left on a quest to find the Lost City of Z. The three men were never heard from again. Untangle the clues they left behind.

KARMA’S WORLD #1: The Great Shine-A-Thon Showcase! by Halcyon Person, illustrated by Yesenia Moises (Scholastic, January 4, 2022). Chapter Book. Meet Karma Grant! Karma and her friends are totally stoked for the MC Grillz concert in their neighborhood, Hansberry Heights! But when the famous rapper’s bus breaks down and the show is canceled, it’s up to Karma to make the best of some bad luck. Will Karma be able to put on her own concert, the Shine-a-Thon, with her friends or will the pressure prove to be way too much?

SMOOCH: A Celebration of the Enduring Power of Love by Karen Kilpatrick, illustrated by Germán Blanco (Genius Cat Books, January 4, 2022). Picture Book. Both humorous and endearing, Smooch is a fresh take on the expression of love that is relevant, relatable, and reassuring. Showcasing diverse family structures and characters through bright, colorful artwork, Smooch engages young readers through familiar circumstances and humor and caregivers through touching sentiment. Perfect for showcasing the permanent bond of love in a fun way, or for children dealing with any kind of separation anxiety.

THE YEAR WE LEARNED TO FLY by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López (Nancy Paulsen Books, January 4, 2022). Picture Book. On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds.

WE PLAY SOCCER by René Colato Laínez, illustrated by Nomar Perez (Holiday House, January 11, 2022). Picture Book. Two boys, an English speaker and a Spanish speaker, are on the same soccer team. They have their uniforms and their cleats. They can both juggle the ball. At first, the boys must wait on the bench. But when the coach lets them in the game, both Joe and José score goals. “We win,” says Joe. “Ganamos,” says José.

Cover for Donde Las Maravillas Crecen (Where Wonder Grows) (First Concepts in Mexican Folk Art)

WHERE WONDER GROWS/Donde Las Maravillas Crencen by Xelena González, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia (Cinco Puntos Press/Lee & Low, January 4, 2022). Picture Book. When Grandma walks to her special garden, her granddaughters know to follow her there. Grandma invites the girls to explore her collection of treasures–magical rocks, crystals, seashells, and meteorites–to see what wonders they reveal. They are alive with wisdom, Grandma says. As her granddaughters look closely, the treasures spark the girls’ imaginations. They find stories in the strength of rocks shaped by volcanoes, the cleansing power of beautiful crystals, the mystery of the sea that houses shells and shapes the environment, and the long journey meteorites took to find their way to Earth. This is the power of Grandma’s special garden, where wonder grows and stories blossom. Releases simultaneously in Spanish.

Cover for Who Was the Voice of the People?

WHO WAS THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE? Cesar Chavez: A Who HQ Graphic Novel by Terry Blas, illustrated by Mar Julia (Penguin Workshop, January 11, 2022). Graphic Novel. Follow Cesar Chavez and the National Farmworkers Association as they set out on a difficult 300-mile protest march in support of farm workers’ rights. A story of hope, solidarity, and perseverance, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the famous Latino American Civil Rights leader.

SOFÍA ACOSTA MAKES A SCENE by Emma Otheguy (Knopf Books for Young Readers, January 25, 2022). Middle Grade. It’s a good thing Sofía Acosta loves dreaming up costumes, because otherwise she’s a ballet disaster—unlike her parents, who danced under prima ballerina Alicia Alonso before immigrating to the suburbs of New York. Luckily, when the Acostas host their dancer friends from Cuba for a special performance with the American Ballet Theatre, Sofía learns there’s more than dance holding her family together. Between swapping stories about Cuba and sharing holiday celebrations, the Acostas have never been more of a team.

Then Sofía finds out about the dancers’ secret plans to defect to the United States, and makes a serious mistake—she confides in her best friend, only to discover that Tricia doesn’t want “outsiders” moving to their community. Now Sofía wonders what the other neighbors in her tight-knit suburban town really think of immigrant families like hers. Sofía doesn’t want to make a scene, but if she doesn’t speak up, how will she figure out if her family really belongs?

STAR CHILD: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi (Dutton Books for Young Readers, January 25, 2022). Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler experienced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death.

THE KEEPER by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. (HarperCollins, January 25, 2022). Middle Grade. James’s new house has a history. None of the kids who’ve lived there have ever survived. No sooner have he and his family arrived in their “perfect” new home in their “perfect” new town than he starts getting mysterious letters from someone called the Keeper. Someone who claims to be watching him. Someone who is looking for “young blood.”

James and his sister, Ava, are obviously in danger. But the problem with having a history of playing practical jokes is that no one believes James—not even his parents. Now James and Ava need to figure out who is sending the letters before they become the next victims in their neighborhood’s long history of missing children.

Because one thing is clear: Uncovering the truth about the Keeper is the only thing that will keep them alive.

TÍA FORTUNA’S NEW HOME: A Jewish Cuban Journey by Ruth Behar, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth (Knopf Books for Young Readers, January 25, 2022). Picture Book. When Estrella’s Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía.

Dec 20 2021

Latinx Book Deals: August-December 2021

Compiled by Cecilia Cackley

This is a monthly series keeping track of the book deals announced by Latinx writers and illustrators. The purpose of this series is to celebrate book deals by authors and illustrators in our community and to advocate for more of them. If you are an agent and you have a Latinx client who just announced a deal, you can let me know on Twitter, @citymousedc. If you are a Latinx author or illustrator writing for children or young adults, and you just got a book deal, send me a message and we will celebrate with you! And if I left anyone out here, please let me know! Here’s to many more wonderful books in the years to come.

AUGUST

Carolina Ortiz at HarperCollins has acquired debut middle grade novel Sincerely Sicily by founder of Es Mi Cultura Tamika Burgess, in a two-book deal. The book features 11-year-old Sicily, who learns to use her voice and take pride in her Black Panamanian heritage while confronting a new school, friendship drama, and prejudice both in the classroom and at home. Publication is planned for winter 2023, with an untitled second book to follow in winter 2024.

Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to The Moon Conch by novelists David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall, in a two-book deal. In the YA fantasy romance, a young Aztec warrior and a contemporary immigrant Mexican girl, connected across the centuries by a sacred conch, flee oppression and fight to survive. Against all odds, they struggle to find their way to each other, for even 500 years isn’t enough to keep them apart. Publication is slated for 2023.

Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has bought world rights to author-illustrator debut As the Seas Rise by Angela Quezada Padron. The picture book is about environmental scientist and activist Nicole Hernandez Hammer, who was recognized by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2015 State of the Union address for her efforts to educate people about climate change and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. Publication is set for September 2023.

Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books has bought, and Kate DePalma will edit, Rooftop Garden by Danna Smith (The Hawk of the Castle; Swallow the Leader), illustrated by Pati Aguilera. This picture book about a modern urban community working together to grow a garden on the roof of their apartment building joins Barefoot’s collection of singalong picture books. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022.

Kate Harrison at Dial has bought world English rights to Just Try One Bite written by Camila Alves McConaughey and Adam Mansbach, illustrated by Mike Boldt. This debut picture book is a role-reversal tale of three kids who try to convince their picky eater parents to put down the ice cream and cake to just try one bite of healthy foods. Publication is set for March 2022.

Michelle Frey and Christopher Myers at Make Me a World have bought world rights, in a two-book deal, to Planet Brooklyn by screenwriter Tony Patrick, illustrated by Goñi Montes. In this middle grade graphic novel, a teenager discovers that he’s trapped in a planetary-sized replica of Brooklyn created by inter-dimensional aliens smitten with his Bed-Stuy neighborhood, in a look at gentrification through a sci-fi lens. Publication is set for spring 2024.

Kendra Levin of Simon & Schuster has acquired Once I Was You: Young Readers Edition by Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor of Latino USA Maria Hinojosa. The book blends stories of Hinojosa’s childhood and teen years not included in her adult memoir with her newly penned perspectives about how the next generation can shape today’s America. It will be published simultaneously in English- and Spanish-language editions in fall 2022.

Katherine Harrison at Knopf has acquired, at auction, Turtles of the Midnight Moon, by Honduran American debut author Maria Jose Fitzgerald, a middle-grade eco-mystery with magical elements, set in Honduras. The story follows Barana and Abby, who reluctantly come together to solve a sea turtle egg poaching mystery plaguing Barana’s coastal village, and learn the true meaning of friendship, courage, and community. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Catriella Freedman at PJ Publishing has bought rights for Detour Ahead by Pamela Ehrenberg and Tracy López. In alternating chapters of prose and verse, this dual-POV contemporary middle grade novel depicts the friendship between Gilah, a neurodiverse Jewish girl preparing for her bat mitzvah, and Guillermo, a Salvadoran American boy who is new to Washington, D.C. Riding the bus together every day, Gilah and Guillermo learn to navigate life’s detours. Publication is slated for winter 2022.

Katie Carella at Scholastic has bought world rights to the Adventure Friends series written by Brandon Todd (Tou-Can’t) and illustrated by Gloria Félix, for the Acorn early reader line. Beginning readers can follow Miguel and Clarke as they explore their neighborhood and draw maps along the way. The first book, The Adventure Friends: Treasure Map, is due out in spring 2023.

Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has bought world rights to Out of Our League, a YA anthology of contemporary short stories about girls in sports, co-edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli. Contributors include Carrie Allen, Sara Farizan, Juliana Goodman, Maggie Hall, Leah Henderson, Sarah Henning, Naomi Kanakia, Miranda Kenneally, Yamile Saied Méndez, Cam Montgomery, Marieke Nijkamp, Amparo Ortiz, Aminah Mae Safi, and Kayla Whaley. Publication is planned for summer 2023.

Kiara Valdez at First Second has bought The Odyssey by Rex Ogle writing as Rey Terciero and illustrator Joe Casanova, a middle grade graphic novel following a mouse on an epic journey back to his home in Ithaca. Publication is slated for fall 2025.

Grace Maccarone at Holiday House has acquired world rights, in a two-book deal, to the first two titles in a bilingual picture book series about friends who speak English and Spanish in a dual-language classroom: Let’s Be Friends/Seamos amigos and We Play Soccer/Jugamos al fútbol by Premio Actitud Award winner René Colato Laínez, based on his experiences as a teacher at one of Los Angeles Unified School District’s most innovative bilingual elementary schools. The books will be illustrated by Nomar Perez; publication will start in winter 2022.

Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has bought world rights to Baller Ina by author-illustrator Liz Casal, a debut rhyming picture book about a ballerina who helps her basketball team leap to victory, celebrating the multifaceted nature of kids. Publication is planned for summer 2023.

SEPTEMBER

Nancy Paulsen of Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights in English and Spanish languages for two books by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson. The Year We Learned to Fly, illustrated by Rafael López, is a follow-up to their bestselling picture book The Day You Begin. Angelina, the Black girl in The Day You Begin, and her younger brother, follow their grandmother’s advice to use their “brilliant minds” to lift them out of challenging situations and emotions and imagine a better world, just as their ancestors did before them. The World Belonged to Us will be illustrated by Leo Espinosa, and is about celebrating the joy and freedom of summer in the city. Publication will be January 4, 2022 and May 17, 2022 respectively.

Stacy Whitman at Lee & Low Books/Tu Books has acquired world rights to Moonlit Vine by Elizabeth Santiago, a contemporary YA novel with interstitial historical vignettes. The story follows 14-year-old Taína, who must draw from the strength of her Taíno ancestors to bring her family and community hope and healing after a devastating incident. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022.

Trisha de Guzman at FSG has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, world English rights to The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, a contemporary fantasy YA about a Haitian American teen zombie who uses her skills in the kitchen—and taste for human flesh—to get revenge on the wealthy elite responsible for her family’s pain. Publication is slated for fall 2023.

Zareen Jaffery at Kokila has acquired, in a preempt, North American rights to Viva Lola Espinoza, the debut novel by author Ella Cerón. It’s a coming-of-age romance with a dash of magical realism, about a booksmart teen whose summer plans are derailed when she is sent to live with her grandmother in Mexico City and learns a family secret that changes her life forever. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023.

Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has acquired world rights to The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía, a debut middle grade fantasy novel by International Latino Book Award-winning author Alexandra Alessandri, featuring legends of the author’s rural Colombia. Twelve-year-old Valentina doesn’t believe in her father’s tales about the mano peluda, madremonte, and patasola, but when an earthquake injures Papi and leaves her stranded with her brother in a strange—and magical—land, she must face the madremonte’s wrath if she has any hopes of getting home and saving Papi. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired The Worst Teddy Ever by debut author-artist Marcelo Verdad, in a seven-house auction. This humorous bedtime picture book stars a child who is disappointed that his teddy bear is always too tired to play games like all the other children’s cuddly toys do—but unbeknownst to him, behind the scenes, Teddy is awake all night heroically protecting the child from unwelcome visitors. Publication is planned for fall 2022.

Luisa Beguiristain at Roaring Brook has bought world rights to The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas, author of the forthcoming picture book Mariana in México, illustrated by Betty C. Tang. Isla is anxiously walking to school, and she uses imaginative techniques to make peace with her anxiety regarding the coming school day. Publication is planned for winter 2023.

Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired, in a two-book preempt, Silenced Voices by Eisner-nominated Pablo Leon, a YA graphic novel about two sisters who find their way back to each other after being separated during a military raid on their village during the civil war in Guatemala in 1982. Publication of the first book is planned for winter 2024.

Tricia Lin at Random House has bought, in a preempt, Iveliz Explains It All, a debut middle grade novel in verse by Andrea Beatriz Arango. Pitched as The Poet X for middle graders, the novel follows Iveliz as she tries to manage her mental health, all while her new friend calls her crazy and her abuela dismisses the pills and therapy that Iveliz needs to feel like herself. Publication is planned for fall 2022.

Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has bought world rights to Paka Paka con la Papa: Alberto Salas Plays Potato Hide-and-Seek by Sara Fajardo, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Juana Martinez-Neal. In this picture book about one of the world’s most successful plant collectors, Alberto Salas pursues rare potato plants up and down the Peruvian Andes, on a lifelong quest to help feed the world through protecting biodiversity. Publication is set for 2023.

Lucas Wetzel at Andrews McMeel has bought middle grade graphic novel series Peculiar Woods by the creator of Wawawiwa comics, Andrés J. Colmenares, pitched as Adventure Time meets The Brave Little Toaster. It’s the whimsical and adventurous tale of a lonely boy who teams up with a chair and blanket to help other courageous little objects with their problems. The first book, Peculiar Woods, is scheduled for spring 2023.

Jessica Anderson at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Gloriana, Presente: A First Day of School Story by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, illustrated by Doris Rodriguez. Pitched as The Day You Begin meets The King of Kindergarten, this bilingual picture book features a Dominican American girl overcoming anxiety and finding her voice in the classroom. The book is scheduled for 2023.

Bria Ragin with Nicola and David Yoon at Joy Revolution have acquired House Party, a multi-authored YA contemporary rom-com edited by justin a. reynolds (Opposite of Always; Early Departures). House Party is told through a series of interconnected stories in which 10 teens intermingle for one epic, life-changing night at the last house party before high school graduation. Contributors include Angeline Boulley, Jerry Craft, Natasha Diaz, Lamar Giles, Ryan La Sala, Jasmine Warga, Randy Ribay, justin a. reynolds, Christina Hammonds Reed, and Yamile Saied Méndez. Publication is set for summer 2023.

Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, world rights to Por un Ratito by Gabriela Orozco Belt, illustrated by Richy Sanchez Ayala, a bilingual picture book in which Maribel and her family must move in with her aunt and cousins por un ratito—for a little while—and observe and appreciate all the differences that come with living in a new place. Publication is slated for spring 2023.

Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired world rights to The Yellow Handkerchief (El Pañuelo Amarillo) by Pura Belpré Honor winner Donna Barba Higuera, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso. In this picture book, a girl struggles with the way her Mexican grandmother and her pañuelo amarillo—a yellow handkerchief—makes her feel different. But she grows to love the handkerchief, which represents a language and a culture she once feared others would not understand. Publication is set for spring 2023.

OCTOBER

Author of Pura Belpre Honor winner THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF NESTOR LOPEZ and CUBA IN MY POCKET Adrianna Cuevas‘s THE GHOSTS OF RANCHO ESPANTO, about a Cuban American boy who is sent to work on a ranch as punishment for a school prank gone wrong, where he’s confronted with an inexplicable mystery that reveals his greatest fears and forces him to rely on unexpected allies, to Trisha de Guzman at Farrar, Straus Children’s, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2023.

Author-illustrator Joe Cepeda‘s SUMO LIBRE, the story of one boy who loves lucha libre and another who loves sumo wrestling, and how their disagreement about which is better leads the friends to create something unexpected and spectacular, to Nikki Garcia at Little, Brown Children’s, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2024.

NYT-bestselling author of CEMETERY BOYS Aiden Thomas‘s JUST MAX, in which a stealth transgender college student faces the usual stress of freshman year—making new friends and trying to fit in—all while managing testosterone shots, navigating the perils of communal bathrooms, and falling in love with the handsome soccer player down the hall, to Holly West at Feiwel and Friends, in a good deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2024.

Ann Whitford Paul Honor recipient Belen Medina Cabot‘s DAUGHTERS OF THE SUN, about the interconnectedness of immigration and migration through the eyes of a human and a monarch butterfly, illustrated by Caldecott Honor recipient Juana Martinez-Neal, to Esther Cajahuaringa at Little, Brown Children’s, with Andrea Spooner editing, for publication in fall 2024.

Author Rio Cortez‘s THE RIVER IS MY SEA, about a child’s Saturday walk with their abuela and the love they share for the Hudson River, Harlem, and Yemaya, the ocean mother goddess of Santeria, a widely worshipped Yoruba orisha, illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin, to Denene Millner at Denene Millner Books, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2024.

YouTube slime queen Karina Garcia and Kevin Panetta‘s SLIME SHOP, in which a girl, her sister, and their friend run a small slime shop out of her bedroom, making and selling all kinds of different slime—gloopy, fluffy, crunchy, glittery, and many more—and ship them to loving homes all around the world, but what the girl doesn’t know is that when she’s not around, the slimes come to joyful life; when a crusty old slime insists that she’s sending them to their doom, the slimes set out on a quest to prove him wrong, illustrated by Niki Smith, to Erika Turner at Versify, with Weslie Turner editing, for publication in summer 2023.

Author of the forthcoming Mi Ciudad Sings Cynthia Harmony‘s A FLICKER OF HOPE, chronicling the parallel journey north of a Mexican girl’s father in search of harvest, and the migration of Monarch butterflies that will lead her Papa home, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth, to Liza Kaplan at Viking Children’s, for publication in fall 2023.

Professional harpsichordist, first generation Guyanese-American, and arts entrepreneur Leslie Kwan‘s A IS FOR ARETHA, the first ABC board book featuring female Black musicians whose artistry and activism globally changed the way we hear and interact with music, one song at a time, illustrated by Rachelle Baker, to Jasmin Rubero at Kokila, for publication in spring 2023.

NOVEMBER

Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has bought North American rights to The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad, a YA novel by Natasha Deen, in an exclusive submission. The story follows Tuna Rashad, who is always on the lookout for messages from her Caribbean ancestors who have passed on, as she tries to win over her crush before she leaves for college. Publication is set for summer 2022.

Marilyn Brigham at Amazon Crossing Kids has bought middle-grade memoir Piece by Piece by David Aguilar and Ferran Aguilar, translated from the Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. The memoir tells the story of David Aguilar, who was born with one arm due to a rare disease, and the surprising international fame and success he attained after building himself a prosthetic arm out of Lego pieces. Publication is scheduled for September 2022.

Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought world rights for Sebastian the Littlest Food Critic by Debbie Rigaud, illustrated by Rachel Más Davidson, featuring a picky eater who rates most meals with “one binky” until he learns his family’s secret ingredient, which yields the rave review of “five binkies.” Publication is slated for 2024.

Patricia Stockland at Kind World has acquired world rights to Viva’s Voice by Raquel Donoso, illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera. After learning what a strike is, five-year-old Viva convinces Papi to take her to the picket line. When quiet Papi is too nervous to give his speech, Viva uses her voice to help him find the confidence to use his own. Donoso’s childhood experience on the picket line with her father inspired this debut picture book. Publication is set for August 2022.

Alexandra Cooper at Quill Tree has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera, a prequel to They Both Die at the End. In the story, new star-crossed lovers are put to the test on the first day of Death-Cast’s fateful calls. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022.

Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab has acquired world rights to Marcia Argueta Mickelson‘s (Where I Belong) next YA novel, The Weight of Everything. Sarah leaves boarding school to care for her grieving father and younger brother after her mother’s death. Finding solace in painting, she researches her mother’s Guatemalan and Mexican roots and begins to understand how art is one way to have a voice. Publication is planned for spring 2023.

Christopher Robbins at Familius has bought world rights to June Moon, a bedtime picture book by Lynn Becker, illustrated by Nate Carvalho, that captures a languid summer evening as child and moon reluctantly prepare for sleep. Publication is slated for May 2023.

Patricia Stockland at Kind World has acquired world rights to Abuelito by David Corredor Benavides and Nelly Buchet (Cat Dog Dog), illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo (Amor, Amor), about a boy who loved his abuelo so much that he was called “Abuelito.” Publication is planned for spring 2023.

Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen has bought The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora (Fragile Remedy), a queer contemporary YA with a speculative twist, set in the Florida mangroves. Fifteen-year-old Brynn is obsessed with death, and her severe anxiety leaves her feeling isolated; but when her parents decide she’s going to spend the summer on her father’s houseboat, she meets—and starts crushing on—sultry and confident Skylar, who is hiding a dark secret. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Nancy Mercado at Dial has bought world rights at auction to La Chiva: Colorful Bus of the Andes by debut author Karol Hernández, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez (Nightlights). In verse that incorporates Spanish vocabulary, the story follows one of the gaily painted buses common throughout Colombia and other South American countries, as it transports villagers through the mountains to the marketplace. Publication is set for spring 2024.

Jon Westmark at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Call Me Calvin, in which a boy becomes frustrated that he isn’t growing big, tall, or strong enough, and wonders if there’s more to being a man than just size and strength, written by Mary Vander Plas and illustrated by André Ceolin. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids has acquired world rights to A Cloud in a Jar by Aaron Lewis Krol, illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera, in which two children set out across the sea to bring a fantasy land the gift of rain. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023.

Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to The Penguin of Ilha Grande: From Animal Rescue to Extraordinary Friendship, which showcases how one person’s act of kindness led to a life-changing friendship between a penguin, a man, and a community, written by Shannon Earle and illustrated by Renato Alarcão. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired world rights to Newbery Honor and Pura Belpré Award winner Margarita Engle‘s Water Day, illustrated by debut artist Olivia Sua, about a girl and her community celebrating the arrival of the water man when he comes on his weekly visit to distribute water to a Cuban village. Publication is slated for summer 2023.

Julie Bliven at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to Our Roof Is Blue by Sara Echenique, illustrated by Ashley Vargas. This picture book is about a younger sibling who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder after a hurricane damages his home in Puerto Rico. With the support of his older sister—and through storytelling, play, and rebuilding their roof—the boy finds his voice and sense of safety once more. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has acquired world rights to Saudade by Ana Crespo, a love letter to Brazil in picture book form, featuring a child and her immigrant mother as they explore the meaning of saudade, a Portuguese word for a strong feeling of longing for something you can’t have. Brazilian artist André Ceolin will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2024.

Orlando Dos Reis at Scholastic Press has bought, in a two-book deal, This Is Our Place and an untitled second YA novel by Vitor Martins (Here the Whole Time), originally published in Brazil as Se a Casa 8 Falasse; Larissa Helena will translate. Set in—and narrated by—a house, this contemporary novel alternates between Ana in 2000, Greg in 2010, and Beto in 2020 as they navigate first loves, heartfelt goodbyes, and new beginnings. Publication is set for fall 2022.

Nancy Mercado at Dial has acquired, at auction, in a six-figure, two-book deal, the middle grade debut by poet Jasminne Mendez, Aniana del Mar Jumps In, a novel-in-verse about a young swimmer who is diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In this tale set in Galveston, Texas, about chronic illness and disability, mothers and daughters and the secrets they keep, Aniana must learn how to grieve who she once was in order to become who she was meant to be. Publication is set for 2023.

Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought world rights to the picture book Fast Feet, Big Brains, a kid-friendly look at human origins through the lens of six famous hominid fossils by Elizabeth Shreeve (Out of the Blue), illustrated by paleo-artist Juan Carlos Alonso. Publication is set for fall 2023.

Luana Kay Horry has bought world rights to A Good Thing Happened Today, a debut picture book written by Good News Movement creator Michelle Figueroa. A lighthearted and rhythmic reminder that good things happen every day, this picture book is meant to inspire readers to continue being the change they want to see in the world. Ramona Kaulitzki will illustrate; publication is set for winter 2022.

Rebecca Kuss while at Inkyard Press bought, at auction, world rights to Bridges and Islands, a YA anthology centering multiracial and multicultural experiences edited by Rebecca Balcárcel and Ismée Williams; Stephanie Cohen will edit. In addition to contributions from Balcárcel and Williams, the volume will include short stories from Adi Alsaid, Akemi Bowman, Anika Fajardo, Shannon Gibney, I.W. Gregorio, Veera Hiranandani, Rainey Nasugraq Hopson, Emiko Jean, Erin Entrada Kelly, Torrey Maldonado, Melina Mangal, Goldy Moldavsky, Randy Ribay, Loriel Ryan, Tara Sim, Eric Smith, Jasmine Warga, and Karen Yin. Publication is set for winter 2023.

Kyra Ostendorf at Free Spirit has bought world rights to Laney Dances in the Rain by Ken Willard, illustrated by Matthew Rivera. This wordless picture book about a girl who loves to dance in the pouring rain shows how her encounter with a boy who tries to ruin her fun allows her to embrace her true self and bring joy to herself and her neighbors. Publication is planned for fall 2022.

SELENA QUINTANILLA: QUEEN OF TEJANO MUSIC author Silvia Lopez‘s SONIA SOTOMAYOR, a story about the inspirational life of Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Nomar Perez, to Andrea Posner-Sanchez at Little Golden Books, for publication in August 2022.

Frank Berrios‘s One Good Night ‘Til series, featuring an array of children and their families getting ready for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday: VALENTINE’S DAY, illustrated by Nneka Myers, for publication in fall 2021; EASTER, illustrated by Ramon Olivera, for publication in winter 2022; HALLOWEEN, illustrated by Debby Rahmalia, for publication in summer 2022; and CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Eduardo Marticorena, for publication in fall 2022, to Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown Children’s.

Panamanian American professional translator and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Gabriella Aldeman‘s PAULA’S PATCHES, in which a girl with ripped pants finds a creative solution to making the best of hand-me-downs and learns she isn’t the only one who needs some patching up, to Meg Bratsch at Free Spirit.

DECEMBER

Seven-time Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody, Glen Ballard, and Eric Smith‘s JAGGED LITTLE PILL: THE NOVEL, based on the musical following the intertwining lives of five teens whose world is changed forever after the events at a party, to Maggie Lehrman at Amulet, for publication in March 2022.

Tamara Grasty at Page Street has bought Amparo Ortiz‘s YA novel Last Sunrise in Eterna, the enchanted home of elves off the coast of Puerto Rico where human visitors are rarely allowed. It’s the last place that Sevim Burgos, who makes a living snatching elf corpses, would ever want to go—until she’s forced to ally herself with an elf prince to save her kidnapped mother. Publication is scheduled for 2023.

Author Silvia Lopez and Broadway producer Susan Rose‘s JOSE AND EL PERRO, a bilingual easy reader series chronicling one boy’s confusion when his newly adopted dog doesn’t understand his Spanish commands, illustrated by Gloria Felix, to Renee Kelly at Penguin Workshop, in a two-book deal, for publication in March 2023.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams‘s THE ADVENTURES OF QAI QAI, featuring the celebrated family doll Qai Qai, teaching a little girl the importance of believing in herself, exploring evergreen themes like friendship and the power of imagination, illustrated by Yesenia Moises, produced with entertainment technology company Invisible Universe, in which Williams is an investor, to Jean Feiwel at Feiwel and Friends, with Foyinsi Adegbonmire also editing, for publication on September 27, 2022.

Rosie Ahmed at Dial has bought, in a six-house auction, world rights to Barrio Rising by debut author Maria Dolores Aguila, illustrated by Magdalena Mora, in a two-book deal. This picture book unfolds through the determined voice of a girl participating in the protest that led to the creation of the iconic Chicano Park in San Diego. Publication in both English and Spanish is scheduled for spring 2024.

Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to Uno Más, One More, written by Silvia Lopez and illustrated by Olivia Sua. This bilingual retelling of the folktale “Always Room for One More” follows Don Manuel, Doña Lila, and their children and assorted pets as they welcome all to their one-room casita for a fiesta. Publication is slated for winter 2024

Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has acquired world rights to The Prince & the Coyote, an historical YA novel from Pura Belpré Honor author David Bowles, illustrated by Amanda Mijangos. After his city falls in 1418 and his family is slaughtered, the 16-year-old crown prince of Tetzcoco goes on the run from a tyrant. Adopting the name Nezahualcoyotl—Fasting Coyote—he manages to survive, retaking his homeland and establishing a powerful new alliance: the Aztec Empire. Publication is slated for fall 2022.

Kiara Valdez at First Second has acquired world rights to Area 51 and Unwanted Guests, the first two titles in the Strange Mystery Comics middle grade graphic novel series. Steve Foxe, the writer for the series, artist Fran Bueno (Area 51) and artist Naomi Franquiz (Unwanted Guests) will take strange events and examine what occurred. Jill Freshney will also edit; publication is planned for 2024.

Alyza Liu at Simon & Schuster has acquired, at auction, Empanadas for Everyone, written by Jackie Azúa Kramer and illustrated by Lenny Wen, about a girl whose weekend visit to her tía’s neighborhood teaches her the importance of community—and of empanadas. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023.

Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has acquired Deya Muniz and Emily Erdos‘s YA graphic novel Blades of Furry, based on their webcomic of the same name, in which Emile, a promising rookie in the high-stakes world of battle ice skating, learns the deepest secret of reigning champion Radu’s and must decide whether to use it to take his rival down, while getting closer and closer to him. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023.

Renee Kelly at Penguin Workshop has acquired, in a two-book deal, world rights to children’s author Silvia López and Broadway producer Susan Rose‘s easy reader series José and El Perro, illustrated by visual development artist Gloria Felix. The first book of the bilingual series chronicles one boy’s confusion when his newly adopted dog, Feliz, doesn’t understand his Spanish commands. Publication is set for March 2023.

Hannah Lambert at Little Simon has acquired world rights to The Thank You Book by Danna Smith, illustrated by Juliana Perdomo, a board book that encourages readers to say thank you to those who help us every day. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022.

Dec 6 2021

Celebrating 25 Years of the Pura Belpré Award: Book Talk About Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh

We are an affiliate with Indiebound and Bookshop. If If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission.

The Pura Belpré Award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latinx writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

We have been marking the award’s 25th anniversary in different ways on the blog. Today, Dr. Sonia Rodriguez and Dora M. Guzmán talk about Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh. The book won the 2015 Pura Belpré Illustration Honor Award.

ABOUT THE BOOK: When her family moved to the town of Westminster, California, young Sylvia Mendez was excited about enrolling in her neighborhood school. But she and her brothers were turned away and told they had to attend the Mexican school instead. Sylvia could not understand why—she was an American citizen who spoke perfect English. Why were the children of Mexican families forced to attend a separate school? Unable to get a satisfactory answer from the school board, the Mendez family decided to take matters into its own hands and organize a lawsuit.

In the end, the Mendez family’s efforts helped bring an end to segregated schooling in California in 1947, seven years before the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation in schools across America.

Using his signature illustration style and incorporating his interviews with Sylvia Mendez, as well as information from court files and news accounts, award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the inspiring story of the Mendez family’s fight for justice and equality.

You can find our book talks on our new YouTube channel!

Nov 22 2021

Celebrating 25 Years of the Pura Belpré Award: Book Talk About The Bossy Gallito by Lucia Gonzalez, illus. by Lulu Delacre

We are an affiliate with Indiebound and Bookshop. If If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission.

The Pura Belpré Award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latinx writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

Cover for The Bossy Gallito / El gallo de bodas (Bilingual): A Traditional Cuban Folktale

We have been marking the award’s 25th anniversary in different ways on the blog. Today, Dr. Sonia Rodriguez and Dora M. Guzmán talk about The Bossy Gallito / El Gallo De Bodas by Lucía M. González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. The book won honors in 1996 for both narrative and illustration.

Latinxs in Kid Lit

Exploring the world of Latinx YA, MG, & children's literature

Tag Archives: picture book

Researching and Writing Historical Fiction with Gloria Amescua and Alda P. Dobbs

Book Talk: Stella’s Stellar Hair by Yesenia Moises

Welcome to another Book Talk, which can be found on our new YouTube channel!

Now, click on the link below to watch the book talk and then add your comments below to join the conversation. ENJOY!

January 2022 Latinx Book Releases!

In addition to listing 2022 titles by/for/about Latinx on our master list, we will remind readers of what’s releasing each month.

CONGRATULATIONS to these Latinx creators. Let’s celebrate these January book babies!

Latinx Book Deals: August-December 2021

Celebrating 25 Years of the Pura Belpré Award: Book Talk About Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh

Celebrating 25 Years of the Pura Belpré Award: Book Talk About The Bossy Gallito by Lucia Gonzalez, illus. by Lulu Delacre

You can find our book talks on our new YouTube channel!

Share this:

Welcome to another Book Talk, which can be found on our new YouTube channel!

Now, click on the link below to watch the book talk and then add your comments below to join the conversation. ENJOY!

Share this:

In addition to listing 2022 titles by/for/about Latinx on our master list, we will remind readers of what’s releasing each month.

CONGRATULATIONS to these Latinx creators. Let’s celebrate these January book babies!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

You can find our book talks on our new YouTube channel!

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