Los coquíes aún cantan

July 22, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-The strength and hope of a young girl, her family, and her country after a devastating hurricane is shared in this beautiful picture book. When Hurricane Mar�a makes landfall in Puerto Rico, Elena and her family take refuge in their home, hiding in the closet as the rain falls in sheets and the wind howls, tearing off the roof and soaking everything in its path. In the aftermath, the mango tree that provided shade, sweet mangoes, and a perch for the coqu�es that share their nightly song, stands bare and battered. The coqu�es go quiet. Elena's family and their neighbors work to repair their homes, creating a garden where they share fruits and vegetables. Eventually, the mango tree provides shade again, and they hear the song of the coqu�es once more. The heartfelt, lyrical text conveys the resilience of Elena and her family; each sentence is full of a simplicity and beauty-in both English and Spanish editions. Even when describing how Elena's family is preparing for what would be one of the most destructive hurricanes in Puerto Rican history, each word is necessary and each sentence reads as an essential part of a larger poem. Readers will sing along with Elena to the lyrical "Co-qu�, co-qui" tune, the joy the song brings evident on the characters' faces. The gouache and acrylic illustrations are vibrant and magical, illuminating Elena's home as she shares time with her family and pulling readers into a darkness as the hurricane makes landfall. VERDICT An inspiring picture book full of love and wonder for Puerto Rico, it is highly recommended for library collections for children.-Selenia Paz

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2022
Gonzalez's debut picture book follows Elena and her family in Puerto Rico before, during, and after Hurricane Maria, which devastated the archipelago in 2017. Elena loves picking ripe mangoes from her family's tree and singing along with the coquies, Puerto Rico's beloved tree frogs, in the evening. When the hurricane strikes, Elena and her family take shelter in a closet and remain safe even after the roof is torn off their house. After the storm, Elena is heartbroken by the now-bare mango tree and the silence of the coquies. She is comforted by her family and community members; Papi assures her that both the coquies and their neighborhood will "come back." A hopeful yellow permeates Quiles's textured gouache and acrylic, digitally finished illustrations, visible in the flesh of a mango, candlelight during the storm, glowing seeds of "gold," and finally the returning coquies. Gonzalez's sensory text captures Elena's complex feelings, the lingering damage in the aftermath of the hurricane, and the ways she finds optimism and strength in her community and nature. A glossary, information about coquies and rebuilding efforts post-Maria, and personal notes from the author and illustrator are appended. Concurrently published in Spanish as Los coquies aun cantan. Monica de los Reyes

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)