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Eloísa y su ventanita musical (Eloísa's Musical Window)

Illustrated by John Parra / Translated by Emily Carrero Mustelier
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About The Book

Inspirado en historias de la infancia de su madre, la célebre autora Margarita Engle y el premiado artista John Parra, han creado un vibrante libro ilustrado sobre como una jovencita y su familia encuentran alegría en la música que entraba por su ventana.

Eloísa ama la música, pero como su familia es muy humilde, solo puede escuchar los ritmos y melodías que entran cuando abre su ventana. Pajaritos y gatos, con sus voces, entonan coros a diario, y canciones de la radio del vecino flotan en el aire. En la calle, los niños agitan maracas y producen ritmos con tambores bongós, un laúd, un cencerro y un güiro, en fin, una orquesta.

Los sonidos del vecindario es música suficiente para Eloísa, pero cuando su mamá se enferma y a su familia se le dificulta comprar medicinas, ¿podrá la música aliviarla del mismo modo en que consuela a Eloísa?

About The Author

Photograph (c) Shevaun Williams
Margarita Engle

Margarita Engle is the Cuban American author of many books including the verse novels Rima’s Rebellion; Your Heart, My Sky; With a Star in My Hand; The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor winner; and The Lightning Dreamer. Her verse memoirs include Soaring Earth and Enchanted Air, which received the Pura Belpré Award, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honor, and was a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, among others. Her picture books include Drum Dream Girl, Dancing Hands, and The Flying Girl. Visit her at MargaritaEngle.com.

About The Illustrator

Photo courtesy of the author
John Parra

John Parra’s illustrations for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, written by Monica Brown, earned the book a New York Times Best Illustrated Book designation. He also illustrated Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, which received a Pura Belpré Honor and the Américas Book Award: Commended; Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans by Phil Bildner, which won the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration and was a Bank Street Best Book of the year; and Hey, Wall, by Susan Verde, which School Library Journal called “a must-purchase” in a starred review. Learn more at JohnParraArt.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (August 27, 2024)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781665960786
  • Ages: 4 - 8

Raves and Reviews

★ “Drawing from her mother’s childhood stories, Engle tells a tale of everyday inspiration, propelled by a lilting text that reverberates. . . . A harmonious triumph.”

– Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Engle’s lyrical text describes noises from the neighborhood animals and the traditional Cuban instruments the musicians play. Parra’s distinctive hand-painted and digitally collaged art features characters with different skin tones and uses a pleasantly washed-out palette for backgrounds.”

– Horn Book

“Focusing on music’s power to heal and uplift . . . young Eloísa finds comfort in music as her mother tries to recover from a serious illness . . . Parra’s signature-style illustrations portray the child sitting at a window with green bars as the community sweetens a difficult time, uplifting Eloísa and her family—and eventually giving way to unfettered connection outside the home.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Based on family stories that Engle’s mother once shared about her childhood in Cuba, this tale celebrates the power of music, family, and community. . . .Parra’s digitally enhanced acrylic paintings have the directness, the warmth, and narrative quality of folk art, while placing the story within a distinctive setting. A heartening picture book.”

– Booklist

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More books from this author: Margarita Engle

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