Tag Archives: Yesenia Moises

Jan 17 2022

Book Talk: Stella’s Stellar Hair by Yesenia Moises

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Welcome to another Book Talk, which can be found on our new YouTube channel!

Here, Dr. Sonia Rodriguez and Dora M. Guzmán talk about STELLA’S STELLAR HAIR by Yesenia Moises.

ABOUT THE BOOK: It’s the day of the Big Star Little Gala, and Stella’s hair just isn’t acting right! What’s a girl to do?

Simple! Just hop on her hoverboard, visit each of her fabulous aunties across the solar system, and find the perfect hairdo along the way.

Stella’s Stellar Hair celebrates the joy of self-empowerment, shows off our solar system, and beautifully illustrates a variety of hairstyles from the African diaspora. Backmatter provides more information about each style and each planet.

Click here to learn more about the author-illustrator: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/12/06/spotlight-on-latina-illustrators-lulu-delacre-cecilia-ruiz-yesenia-moises/

Now, click on the link below to watch the book talk and then add your comments below to join the conversation. ENJOY!

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Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez, PhD is an Associate Professor of English at LaGuardia Community College (CUNY) where she teaches composition, literature, and creative writing. Her academic research focuses on decolonial healing in Latinx children’s and young adult literature. Sonia is a Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader.

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Dora M. Guzmán is a bilingual reading specialist for grades K-5 and also teaches college courses in Children’s Literature and Teaching Beginning Literacy. She is currently a doctoral student with a major in Reading, Language, and Literacy. When she is not sharing her love of reading with her students, you can find her in the nearest library, bookstore, or online, finding more great reads to add to her never-ending “to read” pile!

Jun 4 2020

12 Afro-Latinx Kid Lit Creators You Can Support Right Now

 

Today, we would like to spotlight 12 Afro-Latinx creators in Kid Lit because:

  • the Kid Lit publishing world is overwhelmingly white,
  • the Latinx creators who do get published are largely white or white-passing,
  • racism, anti-blackness, and colorism are systemic plagues in Latinx communities, in addition to our communities at large,
  • and, as a result of all of the above, Afro-Latinx creators do not get the regular attention and respect they deserve.

We stand with the Black community and will use our blog to amplify the voices and work of Black creators more often. Many of us are also educators who are working within the K-12, higher education, and library systems to combat racism, shrink the achievement gap, and best serve our Black students and other students of color. We will continue to do this work.

Below, you will find information about the creators, links to their websites, and links to any past posts from our site. If you click on the book covers, you will go to IndieBound.org, where you can put money behind your support by buying books!

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Elizabeth Acevedo

From her website: Elizabeth Acevedo is a New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X and With the Fire on High. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Poet X, won the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She is also the recipient of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award. Additionally, she was honored with the 2019 Pure Belpré Author Award for celebrating, affirming, and portraying Latinx culture and experience.

Our review of THE POET X: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/03/08/book-review-the-poet-x-by-elizabeth-acevedo/

   

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Lily Anderson Headshot - credit Chris Duffey.jpgLily Anderson:

From her website: I’m Lily, the curly haired gal in the pictures. I’m a writer from the slice of suburbs between Sacramento and San Francisco that could never get it together enough to be the Bay Area. After spending my childhood searching for books about mixed race kids who talk too fast and care too much, I decided to start writing my own.

My books are about snarky girls and emotional intelligence and sometimes monsters. As a woman of Afro-Puerto Rican decent, representing a diverse world isn’t a trend for me—it’s my greatest joy.

Our review of UNDEAD GIRL GANG: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/book-review-undead-girl-gang-by-lily-anderson/

   

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TransientVeronica Chambers

From her website: Veronica Chambers is a prolific author, best known for her critically acclaimed memoir, Mama’s Girl which has been course adopted by hundreds of high schools and colleges throughout the country. The New Yorker called Mama’s Girl, “a troubling testament to grit and mother love… one of the finest and most evenhanded in the genre in recent years.” Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, her work often reflects her Afro-Latina heritage.

She coauthored the award-winning memoir Yes Chef with chef Marcus Samuelsson as well as Samuelsson’s young adult memoir Make It Messy, and has collaborated on four New York Times bestsellers, most recently 32 Yolks, which she cowrote with chef Eric Ripert. She has been a senior editor at the New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, and Glamour. Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, she writes often about her Afro-Latina heritage. She speaks, reads, and writes Spanish, but she is truly fluent in Spanglish. She is currently a JSK Knight fellow at Stanford University.

Our review of THE GO-BETWEEN: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/book-review-the-go-between-by-veronica-chambers/

        

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PictureTami Charles

From her website: Former teacher. Wannabe chef. Tami Charles writes books for children and young adults. Her middle grade novel, Like Vanessa, earned Top 10 spots on the Indies Introduce and Spring Kids’ Next lists, three starred reviews, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Here recent titles include a humorous middle grade, Definitely Daphne, picture book, Freedom Soup, and YA novel, Becoming Beatriz. When Tami isn’t writing, she can be found presenting at schools both statewide and abroad. (Or sneaking in a nap…because sleep is LIFE!)

Our Q&A with Tami Charles: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/spotlight-on-middle-grade-authors-part-12-tami-charles/

 

         

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Robert Liu-Trujillo

From his website: Robert Liu-Trujillo is a life long Bay Area resident. Born in Oakland California, he’s the child of student activists who watched lots of science fiction and took him to many demonstrations. Always drawing, Rob grew up to be an artist falling in love with graffiti, fine art, illustration, murals, and children’s books. In that order, sort of. Through storytelling he’s been able to scratch the surface of so many untold stories. Rob is the author and illustrator of Furqan’s First Flat Top. He’s a dad of a teenage boy and a brand new baby girl. He loves ice cream and his wife who laughs big and corrects his grammar every chance she gets. Down with the system and soggy french fries!

Rob is a co-founder of The Trust Your Struggle Collective, a contributor to The Social Justice Childrens Bk Holiday Fair, The Bull Horn Blog, Rad Dad,  Muphoric Sounds, and the founder of Come Bien Books.

Our review of FURQAN’S FIRST FLAT TOP: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2016/12/15/libros-latinxs-furqans-first-flat-topel-primer-corte-de-mesita-de-furqan/

Our review of ONE OF A KIND LIKE ME: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2017/05/04/book-review-one-of-a-kind-like-meunico-como-yo-written-by-laurin-mayeno-illustrated-by-robert-liu-trujillo/

furqan  Unico_00-Rob Liu-Trujillo_72 dpi       

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IMG_5888Torrey Maldonado

From his website: What do you get from teaching nearly 20 years in a middle school in the Brooklyn community that you’re from & you’re an author? Gripping relatable novels and real-life inspiration. Voted a “Top 10 Latino Author” & best Middle Grade & Young Adult novelist for African Americans, Torrey Maldonado was spotlighted as a top teacher by NYC’s former Chancellor. Maldonado is the author of the ALA “Quick Pick”, Secret Saturdays, that is praised for its current-feel & timeless themes. His newest MG novel, Tight, is a coming of age tale about choosing your own path. Learn more at torreymaldonado.com

Our review of TIGHT: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/book-review-tight-by-torrey-maldonado/

Our Q&A with the Torrey Maldonado: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/09/04/spotlight-on-middle-grade-authors-part-6-torrey-maldonado/

   

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☆ Poet, Author, Editor, Lecturer, Scholar, ActivistTony Medina

From his website: Tony Medina is the author/editor of seventeen books for adults and young readers. Medina has taught English at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus and Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY and has earned an MA and PhD in English from Binghamton University, SUNY. The first Professor of Creative Writing at Howard University in Washington, DC, Medina’s latest books are I and I, Bob Marley (Lee & Low Books, 2009), My Old Man Was Always on the Lam (NYQ Books, 2010), finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize, Broke on Ice (Willow Books/Aquarius Press, 2011), An Onion of Wars (Third World Press, 2012), The President Looks Like Me (Just Us Books, 2013) and Broke Baroque (2Leaf Press, 2013).

   

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Yesenia_HeadShotYesenia Moises

From her website: Bronx native, Afro-Latina, and illustrator on Monique Fields’ debut picture book Honeysmoke: A Story About Finding Your Color, Yesenia is a freelance toy designer and illustrator. Her work has been featured on various media outlets such as SyFy and NBC News. On the toy side of things, she worked with Mattel and Spin Master and has even dabbled in comics here and there with Action Lab and Image. She enjoys creating colorful and whimsical illustrations that depict people of marginalized backgrounds in worlds where even ordinary life can be vibrant and full of wonder. In a time where the world can be a scary place, she wants it to be filled with big hair, bright colors, and lots of sazón from the heart!

Her author-illustrator debut, Stella’s Stellar Hair, is set to release in January 2021.

Our Q&A with Yesenia Moises: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2018/12/06/spotlight-on-latina-illustrators-lulu-delacre-cecilia-ruiz-yesenia-moises/

 

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MaikaMouliteandMaritzaMouliteMaika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

From their website: Maika Moulite is a Miami native and daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s writing stories of her own. She also blogs at Daily Ellement, a lifestyle website featuring everything from diverse inspirational women to career guidance. She’s the oldest of four sisters and loves Young Adult fantasy, fierce female leads, and laughing.

Maritza Moulite graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. An admirer of Michelle Obama, Maritza is a perpetual student and blogs at Daily Ellement as well. Her favorite song is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

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Sofia Quintero

Sofia Quintero is a writer, activist, educator, speaker, and comedienne. She is also the author of Show and Prove, Efrain’s Secret, and has written several hip-hop novels under the pen name Black Artemis. This self-proclaimed “Ivy League homegirl” graduated from Columbia and lives in the Bronx.

Our review of SHOW AND PROVE: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2015/06/18/libros-latins-show-and-prove/

 

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Eric VelasquezEric Velasquez

Eric Velasquez is an Afro-Puerto Rican illustrator born in Spanish Harlem. He attended the High School of Art and Design, the School of Visual Arts, and the famous Art Students League in New York City. As a children’s book illustrator, Velasquez has collaborated with many writers, receiving a nomination for the 1999 NAACP Image Award in Children’s Literature and the 1999 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent for The Piano Man. For more information, and to view a gallery of his beautiful book covers, visit his official website.

He is the illustrator of thirty books. Click here for a list of his work on his website.

Our review of GRANDMA’S GIFT: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/celebrating-pura-belpre-winners-spotlight-on-grandmas-gift-by-eric-velasquez/

Our review of GRANDMA’S RECORDS: https://latinosinkidlit.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/libros-latinos-grandmas-records/

                 

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Ibi Zoboi

From her website: Ibi Zoboi was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. She is also the author of Pride and My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, a New York Times bestseller, and Punching the Air with co-author and Exonerated Five member, Yusef Salaam. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. Raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.

   

 

 

Dec 6 2018

Spotlight on Latina Illustrators: Lulu Delacre, Cecilia Ruíz, & Yesenia Moises

 

By Cecilia Cackley

This is the sixth in a series of posts spotlighting Latina illustrators of picture books. Some of these artists have been creating children’s books for many years, while others will have their first book out soon. They come from many different cultural backgrounds, but all are passionate about connecting with readers through art and story. Please look for their books at bookstores and libraries!

Lulu Delacre

1136d-luludelacremediaphoto1Lulu Delacre is the author and illustrator of many books for young readers, including the Pura Belpré Honor books The Bossy Gallito, Arroró, mi niño, and The Storyteller’s Candle. Originally from Puerto Rico, she now lives and works in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her most recent book is Turning Pages, My Life Story, the picture book autobiography of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Q: What or who inspired you to become an artist? 

A: Creating art has always brought me to a place of inner stillness, comfort, and peace. That feeling and the encouragement of my family and teachers have inspired me. One of my earliest memories is of drawing on white sheets of paper to the classical music my abuela Elena played in the second floor apartment of that old pink house in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Abuela Elena saved every drawing I made inside her closet until one day the pile grew taller than my four-year-old self! Later, I clearly remember Sister Antonia, my kindergarten teacher, telling my parents in a very serious tone, “Lulu is going to be an artist.” Witnessing this faith in my talent definitely fostered its growth.

Q:  Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium–why you like it, when you first learned it, etc. 

A: Hmm…this is a difficult question. I say that because I don’t think I truly have a favorite artistic medium. Many illustrators master a medium and stick with it throughout their careers. I thrive in challenging myself to figure out what medium and style each manuscript calls for, which is often a new technique for me. The 39 titles I’ve illustrated include oil paintings, watercolors, color pencil art, collages, oil washes, linocuts, dry soft pastels, graphite drawings, acrylics and mixed media images. It’s thrilling to stretch myself and forge new ground with my artistic endeavors.

Q: Please finish this sentence: “Picture books are important because…”

A:…they are an art form like no other in which the images and words have equal weight in creating a unique experience for the reader. An experience that has the power to delight, move and/or change us.

        

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Cecilia Ruíz

Cecilia Ruíz is an author, illustrator, and designer originally from Mexico City, now living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Her first picture book A Gift From Abuela, was published by Candlewick Press in August 2018.

Q: What or who inspired you to become an artist?

A: I think my biggest influence in becoming a visual artist was my aunt. She is a graphic designer, and when I was little and saw the kind of work she did, I knew right away that I wanted to do the same. I think I went to graphic design school because of her, and that’s how my career path in visual storytelling started.

Q: Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium—why you like it, when you first learned it, etc.

I love printmaking techniques. My first encounter with printmaking was in college in Mexico City. We had a class where we learned screen printing, etching, and linocut carving. I was enamored with the process, the crafty texture, and the charming accidents. It was years later that I discovered that I didn’t need access to a printmaking lab to do it. I started carving erasers and rubber instead of linoleum and printing at home with just a stamp ink-pad. I now do a mix of traditional and digital— technique that I learned and developed while going to grad school at SVA in NY. I carve and print multiple pieces by hand. I then scan all those separate pieces and put them together in Photoshop. I also do the final coloring in Photoshop. This allows me to have the best of the two worlds—the crafty look of printmaking, and the control of the computer.

Q: Please finish this sentence: “Picture books are important because…”

A: They are a door, a window, and a mirror.

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Yesenia Moises

Yesenia_HeadShotYesenia Moises is an Afro-Latina illustrator and freelance toy designer from the Bronx. When she’s not off filling the world with bright and colorful art, her pastimes include playing really silly dating sims and kicking back with her wildly photogenic dog Divo. Her first picture book is Honeysmoke: Finding Your Color by Monique Fields, which will be published by Macmillan in January 2019.

Q: What or who inspired you to become an artist? 

A: Growing up I watched a lot of cartoons and I started off drawing because I wanted to draw my favorite characters. I do think a big turning point that got me really wanting to get better at drawing was when I started watching Sailor Moon. I really loved how it was unlike the other shows I was watching in both its plot and the way the characters are portrayed. The show was also what started my interest in anime and continues to inspire my work to this day. Unlike the episodic nature of American cartoons, there was an overarching plot and characters that were developed over the course of a show’s season and not just quick shorts that wouldn’t leave too much room to get invested in them. Sailor Moon was the first time I felt like I could relate to characters in a show and as I found myself wanting to draw better because I wanted to be able to capture all the details in my fan renditions of the character but also to be able to create stories of my own that others could find to be relatable and could invoke the kinds of warm feelings I get when I remember those days. I’m still working on it but for now, I think it’s safe to say that the show really inspired me to want to draw more!

Q: Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium–why you like it, when you first learned it, etc. 

A: My favorite medium would have to be watercolor. I don’t often get to use it because a lot of the work I do now involves frequent revisions that would be tough to accomplish as quickly as I can digitally. The medium was something that I picked up on my own back in my high school days. I was really into doing everything traditionally since I couldn’t afford a Wacom tablet and I was addicted to looking up as many tutorials as I could on Deviantart to try and teach myself anything and everything just for the sake of being able to create. Watercolor ended up being the medium that I had the most fun using out of the many things I was trying at the time. I loved how soft and delicate things could look with them and how you could really feel have a physical connection between you, the paper, the paint, and the water (provided you got over the initial learning curve of course.) Last year I took part in Blick Art Materials’ 31 Days of Watercolor Challenge and I really enjoyed applying some of the techniques and color palettes that I’d built up from years of working digitally to a medium where prior to that I’d only ever aimed to have a delicate touch. These days I spent a lot more time working on projects for clients in Photoshop but there’s a special place in my heart for the tactile feeling you get when putting paint to paper that digital art just can’t replicate.

Q: Please finish this sentence: “Picture books are important because…”

A: Picture books are important because they offer a viewpoint that children don’t get to directly see in the world around them. They offer a space of imagination and creativity that helps create a gateway to an early interest in reading and learning which I think is a really important lifelong skill.

 

 

Cackley_headshotCecilia Cackley is a Mexican-American playwright and puppeteer based in Washington, DC. A longtime bookseller, she is currently the Children’s/YA buyer and event coordinator for East City Bookshop on Capitol Hill. Find out more about her art at www.ceciliacackley.com or follow her on Twitter @citymousedc