Today we are incredibly excited to celebrate the release of Where Wonder Grows and Donde las maravillas crecen by Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia. From the creators of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor title All Around Us and Por todo nuestro alrededor comes another lyrical intergenerational story exploring our connections to nature, family, and traditions.
About the book:
When Grandma walks to her special garden, her granddaughters know to follow her there. Grandma invites the girls to explore her collection of treasures–magical rocks, crystals, seashells, and meteorites–to see what wonders they reveal. “They are alive with wisdom,” Grandma says. As her granddaughters look closely, the treasures spark the girls’ imaginations. They find stories in the strength of rocks shaped by volcanoes, the cleansing power of beautiful crystals, the mystery of the sea that houses shells and shapes the environment, and the long journey meteorites took to find their way to Earth. This is the power of Grandma’s special garden, where wonder grows and stories blossom.
Cuando la abuela va hacia su jardín especial, sus nietas saben que deben seguirla. Abuelita invita a las niñas a explorar su colección de tesoros (rocas mágicas, cristales, conchas marinas y meteoritos) para ver qué maravillas revelan. “Son seres vivos y llenos de sabiduría,” dice la abuela. Mientras sus nietas observan con atención, los tesoros despiertan la imaginación de las niñas. Encuentran historias en la fuerza de las rocas formadas por los volcanes, el poder limpiador de hermosos cristales, el misterio del mar que albergan las conchas y cómo le dan forma al medio ambiente y el largo viaje que hicieron los meteoritos para encontrar su camino hacia la Tierra. Éste es el poder del jardín especial de la abuela, donde las maravillas crecen y florecen los cuentos.
Praise for Where Wonder Grows:
★ “Simply dazzling.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “Lyrical words by González (a member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation) emphasize the intergenerational ties that bind the characters and show Indigenous knowledge in the process of being passed down. Garcia’s portraits center affectionate familial gestures alongside mural-like views of sunset skies and evocative representations of fire, earth, air, and water.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“This author-illustrator team offers their readers a thought-provoking, mind-expanding piece of art that shows gratitude to our planet.” —Booklist
“The team behind the Pura Belpré Illustration Honoree All Around Us, here introduce readers to the wonder and healing power of the natural world and the importance of sharing in cultural traditions…Garcia’s illustrations have a dream-like quality that pairs beautifully with González’s spiritual yet grounded narration.” —Zoraida Córdova, Shelf Awareness
“Beautiful and meditative.” —Juana Martinez-Neal, Caldecott honoree
Order your own copies of Where Wonder Grows and Donde las maravillas crecen:
Where Wonder Grows:
Lee & Low Books
Amazon
Donde las maravillas crecen:
Lee & Low Books
Amazon
or through your favorite Latinx-owned bookshop!
Xelena González is a storyteller, a screenwriter, a poet, and an author of picture books. Her storytelling skills were honed as a children’s librarian in San Antonio, Texas, and in an international school in Guangzhou, China. As a visiting author, she has introduced her method of “tai chi storytelling” to more than sixty schools and libraries around the United States. She is a member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation and still lives in San Antonio, where she grew up. You can find out more about González and her first book, All Around Us, at https://allaroundus.info/.
Adriana M. Garcia is a visual artist, a muralist, and an illustrator. She is the recipient of a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor for her debut picture book, All Around Us by Xelena González. Garcia has exhibited her artwork nationally and has presented at conferences, schools, and museums around the United States. She especially loves painting portraits of strong women to honor those who have come before and those who continue to lead by example. Garcia lives in San Antonio, Texas, and you can find her online at https://adrianamjgarcia.com/.
