Angélica Y La Güira (Angélica and La Güira Spanish Edition) - by Angie Cruz (Hardcover)

About the Book

Playing the gèuira reminds Angâelica of the people she loves and misses, especially her grandfather in the Dominican Republic.

Book Synopsis

Una niña aprovecha el poder de la música para acortar la distancia entre la República Dominicana y Washington Heights. Este es un debut inolvidable en el género infantil de Angie Cruz, ganadora de múltiples premios y autora de la exitosa novela Dominicana.

Angélica ha pasado todo el verano en la República Dominicana con sus tías y primas, sus abuelos y con la cotorra de al lado. Pronto, tendrá que despedirse. El final del verano significa regresar a casa para volver a la escuela en la otra orilla. Antes de irse, su abuelo le da el regalo perfecto, algo con el poder de atraer multitudes y mover a la gente tan rápido como las alas de un picaflor: una güira. Angélica se enamora de esta lata sin fondo y peine de hojalata que mantiene el ritmo, aunque al principio nadie parece compartir su entusiasmo. "¿Qué es ese sonido?" dicen. "¿Centavos dentro de una lata?". Pero un día soleado y caluroso en la tierra de Washington Heights, donde la mujer del frío-frío raspa hielo para una larga fila de clientes y los hombres de la esquina estrellan fichas de dominó en una improvisada mesa de cartón, Angélica les muestra a sus vecinos el poder de la güira.

¡Angélica y la güira explora con cariño y ternura la música y la comunidad, así como la sabiduría y guía de nuestros mayores y la alegría y libertad de bailar en la calle! Este libro también disponible en inglés bajo el título Angélica and la Güira.

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. Don't miss the English-language edition of this book, Angélica and la Güira.

Review Quotes

Praise for Angélica y la güira by Angie Cruz; illustrated by Luz Batista; translated by Kianny N. Antigua:

The Bank Street Center for Children's Literature 2025 Best Children's Books of the Year in Spanish

★"A festive tribute to music and home that will strike a chord with all readers, especially those who see their cultures represented in these pages. Purchase for all picture book shelves."
--School Library Journal, starred review

About the Author

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. Learn more about Luz at luzbatista.com and follow her @johnnyoctopus on Instagram.