Angie Cruz’s last novel, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, won many hearts and accolades.
Cruz is back this summer with Angélica and la Güira, her picture book debut about a girl who learns the power of music and deep familial love through a beloved Dominican instrument. Out July 30 from Kokila Books, the book is illustrated by Luz Batista, a story artist and illustrator.
In the book, Angélica has just spent her entire summer with relatives in the Dominican Republic. But now the new school year is starting, and it’s time to return to Washington Heights.
Before Angélica leaves, her grandfather presents her with a gift.
He tells her, “Over a hundred years ago, on a land where rocks are plenty, in the greenest valley between the mountains, this güira played its song.”
Angélica watches as her grandfather pulls out a shiny hollow steel can and a metal comb. He scrapes the comb against the can’s surface. La güira is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic, most often used in merengue típico (also known as perico ripiao) and bachata. This family güira has been passed down from generations. Abuelito tells Angélica that when she plays the güira, it’s as if she’s playing with him. As if they’re still together.
Back in Washington Heights, Angélica enthusiastically plays la güira wherever she can. But its sound doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. That is, until one hot, sunny day, when she pulls out the beloved güira from her backpack and begins playing.
Angélica and la Güira is a jubilant story that beautifully braids many themes together: the role ancestors play in our lives, the power that music has in bringing people together, and the courage it takes to step into your true, unapologetic self. Batista's illustrations — a blend of traditional drawings, textures and digital painting — adds vibrancy to the story, from the colorful words and swirls that come out of la güira when its played, to the diverse community that makes up Washington Heights. Angélica y la güira, translated into Spanish by Kianny N. Antigua – is also out on July 30.
Ahead of the book’s release, Cruz spoke with the Dominican Writers Association about the inspiration behind Angélica and la Güira. The award-winning author – herself a Washington Heights native – recalled how her readers would bring their children to her book events. It made her think: Why couldn’t she write a picture book for them?
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Congratulations on Angélica and la Güira. It’s a beautiful story about music, community and the ties to our elders. You are known for your adult fiction novels rooted in the Dominican diaspora. But this is your debut picture book. What compelled you to dive into children’s literature to tell this story?
I’ve always had an interest. I have a 16-year-old, but when he was little, I read a lot of picture books to him. I realized that the books that he was very attracted to were always those that had repetition and music. And, of course, I always wanted him to read books that were more about culture and empowerment. This was in 2007 through 2013. I didn’t really see our communities represented in books. So I always had this desire to write a book, or think about a book that would do the same things I’m doing with Dominicana and Let It Rain Coffee and Soledad and How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water – but for kids.
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