We have a double whammy for this Tuesday’s book releases! We are so excited to be releasing Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán: A Story of Puerto Rico / Un cuento de Puerto Rico by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Elizabeth Erazo Baez, as well as ¡Ándale, Prieta!: A Love Letter to My Family by Yasmín Ramírez.
Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán: A Story of Puerto Rico / Un cuento de Puerto Rico
In Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán, bestselling author Lesléa Newman offers a tender and timely story about a Puerto Rican child facing a hurricane and her concern for the beloved coquíes of her home island. The illustrations are beautifully painted by Elizabeth Erazo Baez, masterfully bringing to life the vibrant communities and environment of Puerto Rico.
More about the book:
One day a terrible hurricane comes to Puerto Rico, and Alicia and her family take refuge in a shelter. At bedtime Alicia hears grown-ups snoring and babies crying, wind howling and rain pounding. But even though she listens hard, she cannot hear the song of the coquíes. Are the little tree frogs safe? And what will Alicia and her family find at home when the storm is over?
Un día un terrible huracán viene a Puerto Rico y Alicia y su familia se cobijan en un refugio. A la hora de dormir, Alicia oye los ronquidos de los adultos y el llanto de los bebés, el aullido del viento y el golpetear de la lluvia. Pero a pesar de que escucha con atención, no puede oír el canto de los coquíes. ¿Estarán a salvo las ranitas? ¿Con qué se encontrarán Alicia y su familia cuando la tormenta haya terminado?
Praise for Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán:
“Alicia and her family remind us that if we are together, HOPE, like the song of the coquí, will be ever present in our lives. / Alicia y su familia nos recuerdan que, si estamos unidos, la esperanza, como la canción del coquí, estará siempre presente en nuestras vidas.“
—Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto, Mayor of San Juan / alcaldesa de San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2013-2020; Weissman Fellow,
Mount Holyoke College, 2021
Order your copy of Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán:
Lee & Low Books
Indiebound
Bookshop
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
…or through your favorite Latinx-owned bookshop!
¡Ándale, Prieta!: A Love Letter to My Family
This beautifully open coming-of-age memoir by a Mexican American debut writer doubles as a love letter to the tough grandmother who raised her.
More about the book:
When I tell people who don’t speak Spanish what prieta means–dark or the dark one–their eyes pop open and a small gasp escapes . . . How do I tell them that now, even after the cruelty of children, Prieta means love? That each time Prieta fell from Ita’s lips, I learned to love my dark skin.
No one calls me that anymore. I miss how her words sounded out loud.
My Ita called me Prieta. When she died, she took the name with her.
Anchored by the tough grandmother who taught her how to stand firm and throw a punch, debut author Yasmín Ramírez writes about the punches life’s thrown her non-traditional family of tough Mexican American women.
Click here to listen to the ¡Ándale, Prieta! playlist, curated by author Yasmín Ramírez!
Watch the book trailer for ¡Ándale, Prieta!
Praise for ¡Ándale, Prieta!
“A tribute to the author’s fierce grandmother blossoms into a family saga brimming with heartache and love … A promising debut, gripping in its honesty.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This unflinching memoir is a celebration of women working through the pain and earning the love in their lives.” —Richard Yañez, author of El Paso del Norte: Stories on the Border
“Yasmín Ramírez’s debut memoir delicately shows us what tough lessons, and even tougher people, have to teach us about love.” —Matt Mendez, author of Barely Missing Everything and Twitching Heart
“A hard-hitting and gorgeous debut.” —Sonja Livingston, author of Ghostbread
Order your copy of ¡Ándale, Prieta!:
Lee & Low Books
Indiebound
Bookshop
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
…or through your favorite Latinx-owned bookshop!