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 unforgettable picture book debut by the bestselling and award-winning author of Dominicana.

All summer, Angélica has woken up to the sound of the parrot next door and rain hitting the tin roof of her family’s coop. Soon, she’ll have to say goodbye to the parrot, the roosters, her tías and primas, her grandparents, and the Dominican Republic. The end of summer means returning home to start school on another shore. Before she leaves, her grandfather gives her the perfect gift, something with the power to draw crowds and move people as fast as the wings of a hummingbird: a güira. Angélica falls in love with this steel can and metal comb that keeps a beat, though nobody seems to share 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.

Bestselling and award-winning author Angie Cruz makes her picture book debut alongside Luz Batista, whose illustrations perfectly capture the energies of the Dominican Republic and Washington Heights. 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! Available in English and Spanish.