Angélica and la Güira

May 15, 2024
Ang�lica is sad to say goodbye to her family in the Dominican Republic after a magical summer visit. As a parting gift, Abuelito gives the child an antique g�ira, a cylindric metal percussion instrument. As he scrapes the g�ira with a metal comb, Abuelito tells Ang�lica about their ancestors who played the instrument before her. "This g�ira has power," he tells her. "It makes the music go slow slow or speed up--fast fast." Ang�lica is excited to bring this piece of her beloved Dominican Republic back home to New York City; she plays it loudly whenever she misses Abuelito. Her family and her orchestra teacher aren't thrilled by the bold sounds, and Ang�lica can't seem to find a place where her music is welcomed. Undeterred, she plays outside, drawing neighbors with tamboras, accordions, and more until their street ignites with music and dancing. In the rhythmic beats of the g�ira, Ang�lica finds a connection to her roots and a harmony that brings her Washington Heights community together. Heartwarming themes of familial love and heritage resonate throughout, and Ang�lica is a resilient and empathetic protagonist; readers will admire her persistence as she searches for belonging. Rainbow-hued swirls emanate from the g�ira, infusing Batista's orderly scenes with energy; use of onomatopoeia gives the text an enjoyably rhythmic quality. A melodic tribute to the power of music. (Picture book. 5-9)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 24, 2024
As Angélica and her family prepare to travel from the Dominican Republic, where they’ve spent the summer, back to New York, she knows she’ll soon say goodbye to her family. The day before she leaves, Abuelito gives her a family heirloom, a Güira, shows her how to make its characteristic sound, and tells her about its unique power—“It makes the music go slow slow or speed up—fast fast.” But back in Washington Heights, Angélica struggles to find a place to play the Güira, dismissed by her family, the school orchestra, and the neighborhood jazz band. Realizing she can play alone, Angélica picks up the Güira on her building’s front steps, evoking the sounds of her ancestors on the instrument, and is soon joined by neighborhood musicians whose jam session leads to a fantastic block party. Batista’s digitally created art blends vivid, bright colors and fluid imagery that pairs well with Cruz’s uplifting text in this double picture book debut. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Publishing simultaneously in English and Spanish. Ages 5–8.

Starred review from August 1, 2024
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* This captivating picture book seamlessly blends family and community connections, cultural heritage, and the universal theme of finding one's place in the world. Young Ang�lica spends her summer at her abuelos' home, full of her t�os, t�as, y primos in the Dominican Republic. Upon her departure, her abuelo gifts her a g�ira, an instrument passed down from his mother, symbolizing their family's rich musical legacy. Cruz's narrative is heartwarming and evocative, capturing the essence of Ang�lica's journey as she transitions from the warmth of her grandparents' home to her bustling Washington Heights neighborhood. The g�ira serves as a tangible connection to her Dominican roots and her abuelo's stories of her lineage's musical magic, sparking a desire in her to recreate that enchantment. The illustrations, rendered in a digital watercolor style, are bustling with color and warmth, inviting readers into Ang�lica's vibrant world and effectively conveying her imagination and emotions of excitement, frustration, determination, and yearning as she struggles to find a place to play her g�ira. Cruz beautifully captures the dissonance between Ang�lica's memories of her summer and present reality, highlighting her quest to bring the magic of music into her everyday life. This delightful and meaningful read offers young readers a powerful glimpse into cultural identity, family bonds, and the power of music to bring communal joy and connection to one's heritage. Simultaneously released in Spanish as Ang�lica y la g�ira.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from August 9, 2024

K-Gr 3-Ang�lica spends all summer with her family in the Dominican Republic, but when it's time to start school, she needs to return home to Washington Heights in New York City. The day before leaving her beloved family's home country, her abuelo gives her a g�ira and lets her know that the shiny, hollow instrument connects them to their people, their land, and themselves. Back home, Ang�lica plays la g�ira everywhere-in the kitchen, in her room, on the sidewalk; she even sleeps with it. But it seems that no one around her feels her excitement and admiration for la g�ira as a powerful and real instrument, deserving a role in musical spaces. It is Ang�lica's determination and joyful presence that showcases the cultural, communal, and sonic power of one of the Dominican Republic's cherished instruments. Cruz's lyrical and heartfelt words and Batista's warm and emotive illustrations truly encapsulate intergenerational and transnational connections between Dominicans-aqu� y all� (here and there). The double spread format and vivid art style effectively capture the contrasting landscapes of the Dominican Republic and Washington Heights neighborhoods, as well as Ang�lica's extended family and neighbors and their respective gradients of skin tones, body types, hair textures, and other physical traits. Cruz's clever and consistent use of the onomatopoeic sounds of la g�ira and Batista's depiction of Ang�lica's hand movement across the book will have readers wanting to feel the power of la g�ira. VERDICT With countless uses and a resonant story, purchase this for all picture book collections.-Sujei Lugo

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
Ang�lica is going back to Washington Heights after summer vacation with her family in the Dominican Republic. Abuelito gives her his g�ira, a handheld percussion instrument, to bring home, telling her that when she plays it they "are never apart." The loud g�ira appears less welcome in her spaces at home (the kitchen; school orchestra) until she finds the perfect place to play it. Whimsical, digital illustrations with watercolor-like textures feature hummingbirds and flowers from the Dominican Republic. Concurrently published in Spanish as Ang�lica y la g�ira.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)