Caribbean

Our Roof Is Blue

A girl in Puerto Rico copes with the aftermath of a hurricane, including her family’s temporary blue tarp roof and her brother’s refusal to speak. Includes notes about the author’s life in Puerto Rico and the yearly ritual of preparing for hurricanes.

Los Coquíes Aún Cantan: Un Cuento Sobre Hogar, Esperanza Y Reconstrucción (Spanish Edition)

¡Co-quí, co-quí! Los coquíes le cantan a Elena desde el amado árbol de mango de su familia—sus llamadas son tan conocidas que es como si estuvieran cantando, “Estás en casa, estás a salvo.” Pero de repente, su hogar no es tan seguro cuando un huracán atenta con destruir todo lo que Elena conoce. Con el paso del tiempo, Elena, junto a su comunidad, comienza a reconstruir su hogar, sembrando semillas de esperanza en el camino. Cuando los sonidos de los coquíes regresan gradualmente, reflejan la resiliencia y fuerza de Elena, su familia, y sus compatriotas puertorriqueños. Co-quí, co-quí! The coquí frogs sing to Elena from her family’s beloved mango tree—their calls so familiar that they might as well be singing, “You are home, you are safe.” But home is suddenly not safe when a hurricane threatens to destroy everything that Elena knows.
As time passes, Elena, alongside her community, begins to rebuild her home, planting seeds of hope along the way. When the sounds of the coquíes gradually return, they reflect the resilience and strength of Elena, her family, and her fellow Puerto Ricans.

The Coquíes Still Sing: A Story Of Home, Hope, And Rebuilding

A powerful story about home, community, and hope, inspired by the rebuilding of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017, written by debut author Karina González and illustrated by Krystal Quiles.

Rima’s Rebellion: Courage In A Time Of Tyranny

In 1920s Cuba, Rima is bullied and shunned for her illegitimacy, but finds solace in riding her horse and forges unexpected friendships with others who share her dreams of freedom and suffrage. Includes historical note.

Alicia And The Hurricane / Alicia Y El Huracán: A Story Of Puerto Rico / Un Cuento De Puerto Rico (English And Spanish Edition)

A young girl’s love of the coquíes’ nightly song helps her survive a destructive hurricane with her family. Includes author’s note.

Josephine Against The Sea

Eleven-year-old Josephine knows that no one is good enough for her daddy. That’s why she makes a habit of scaring his new girlfriends away. She’s desperate to make it onto her school’s cricket team because she’ll get to play her favorite sport AND use the cricket matches to distract Daddy from dating.
But when Coach Broomes announces that girls can’t try out for the team, the frustrated Josephine cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life . . .
The next day, Daddy brings home a new catch, a beautiful woman named Mariss. And unlike the other girlfriends, this one doesn’t scare easily. Josephine knows there’s something fishy about Mariss but she never expected her to be a vengeful sea creature eager to take her place as her father’s first love! Can Josephine convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save Daddy from Mariss’s clutches before it’s too late?

Broken Butterfly Wings / Alas De Mariposa Rotas

Gabriela is super excited when her gift from Titi Sylvia finally arrives. She loves the colorful, glittery butterfly wings! She stands in the middle of her room and flaps and flaps her new wings, but nothing happens. She jumps off her bed, vigorously moving the wings up and down, but again, nada. She hops down the hallway and the stairs, but she still can’t fly! Disappointed, Gabriela goes to the garage, digs into her father’s toolbox and sets about trying to fix the broken butterfly wings. Maybe she can add a battery or an engine. Her father has a better idea, though, and encourages her to close her eyes and think about where she would like to fly. Soon she is envisioning El Yunque, a rainforest on the island of Puerto Rico that is full of tall green trees, humming waterfalls and chattering birds. She can even hear the coqui, a tiny tree frog that lives only on the island, singing its special song: coqui-coqui.

Maxy Sobrevive El Huracán/ Maxy Survives The Hurricane (Spanish And English Edition)

Maxy is a happy puppy who lives with Clarita and her family in a house filled with music and laughter on the island of Puerto Rico. On sunny days, Clarita and Maxy go to the park or on adventures under the flamboyant tree. On rainy days, they stay inside and play games or read books.

But one day, Maxy sees everyone rushing around, putting things in boxes. Someone says, “María is coming!” That night, Hurricane María roared ashore; there was thunder, lightning and lots of rain. Maxy was terrified! Finally, the power went out and the house and everything around it was completely dark. The next day when they went outside, they saw destroyed homes, flooded roads and knocked-down trees-including their beloved flamboyant! There was no electricity for a long time, and everyone had to stand in long lines for food, gas and even water to drink.

Eventually, power is restored and Maxy thinks everything is going to be okay. Until one day, the clouds start to gather and he hears thunder and whistling winds. Trembling and whining, he races under the bed! Eventually, and with the help of loved ones, Maxy like many children who go through natural disasters learns to overcome his fear and appreciate the benefits of rain.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XIV, Issue 4.