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A conversation for young readers with Angie Cruz and Lupita Aquino.
A book club for the Mini’s! Join La Comunidad Reads for a special author story time with Angie Cruz, reading her debut picture book Angélica and la Güira. Discover how young Angélica bridges the distance between the Dominican Republic and Washington Heights through the power of music. Special local musical guest Chris Urquiaga, known as JChris, will lead a musical experience for the children, making the story come alive. Come celebrate music, community, and the joy of dancing in the street with us for this very special event.
Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing from Loyalty Bookstores.
Angie Cruz is a novelist and editor. She is the author of How Not To Drown in A Glass of Water and Dominicana, which was the inaugural GMA Book Club Pick and the 2019-20 Wordup Uptown Reads selection. It was shortlisted for The Women’s Prize, longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the Aspen Words Literary Prize, it was a RUSA Notable Book, and winner of the ALA/YALSA Alex Award. Cruz divides her time between Pittsburgh, New York, and Turin.
Luz Batista is a story artist and illustrator who grew up in New York City, New Jersey, and Atlanta and spent many summers longing for a visit to the Dominican Republic. Luz graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in animation, and she’s currently a story artist and creative consultant at Disney TVA. Angélica and la Güira is her first picture book. on Instagram.
A young girl harnesses the power of music to bridge the distance between the Dominican Republic and Washington Heights in this jubilant picture book debut by Angie Cruz, bestselling and award-winning author of Dominicana.
Angélica has spent the summer in the Dominican Republic with her tías and primas, her grandparents, and their parrot, but soon she’ll have to say goodbye. The end of summer means returning home to start school on another shore. Before she leaves, her grandfather gives her the perfect gift. It’s something with the power to make people dance as fast as the wings of a hummingbird: a güira. Angélica falls in love with this musical instrument, though nobody shares her enthusiasm at first. “What is that sound,” they say, “pennies inside a tin cup?” But on a hot, sunny day, in the land of Washington Heights, where the frío frío woman scrapes ice for a long line of customers and the men on the corner plunk dominoes on a makeshift carboard table, Angélica shows her neighbors the power of la güira.
Angélica and la Güira lovingly explores music and community, the wisdom and guidance of our elders, and the joy and freedom of dancing in the street. No matter where we are, music brings us closer to home.
AGE GROUP: | 5 - 12 Years Old |
EVENT TYPE: | Discover Summer | Author Talk |
