The Coquíes Still Sing: A Story of Home, Hope, and Rebuilding

by Karina Nicole González, Krystal Quiles (Illustrator)

Overview

Pura Belpré Honor Book for Children's Text
Pura Belpré Honor Book for Children's Illustration
Chicago Public Library Best Picture Books of 2022
Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee's Best Children's Books of the Year 2023
New York Public Library 2023 New Vibrant Voices Titles for Kids: New Books from Authors of Color

"This book is more than beautiful." - Yuyi Morales, Caldecott Honoree and New York Times bestselling creator of Dreamers

A powerful story about home, community, and hope, inspired by the rebuilding of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017, created by Pura Belpré honor-winning author Karina González and illustrator Krystal Quiles.
Co-quí, co-quí! The coquí frogs sing to Elena from her family’s beloved mango tree—their calls so familiar that they might as well be singing, “You are home, you are safe.” But home is suddenly not safe when a hurricane threatens to destroy everything that Elena knows.

As time passes, Elena, alongside her community, begins to rebuild their home, planting seeds of hope along the way. When the sounds of the coquíes gradually return, they reflect the resilience and strength of Elena, her family, and her fellow Puerto Ricans.

The Coquies Still Sing is also available in Spanish.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250787187
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	08/23/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	375,782
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karina Nicole González spent her childhood between New Jersey and Puerto Rico. She is an educator and speech-language pathologist for NYC public schools, where Karina uses story-telling as a tool for language development with her elementary school students. Karina lives in Brooklyn, NY. She is the author of The Coquies Still Sing.

Krystal Quiles has been drawing in her room since she could hold a pencil. She studied illustration and fine arts at Pratt Institute, and holds a BFA in Communication Design. Originally from the Bronx, Krystal works as a Freelance Illustrator in Brooklyn, where she creates pieces that are lively, fun and dimensional while embracing what it is to be a girl. She is the illustrator of The Coquies Still Sing.

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/26/2022

One family’s resilience amid disaster is the soaring note in this full-throated tribute to Puerto Rico’s survival following Hurricane María. At sunrise, amid the rural lushness of the child’s mountain home, narrator Elena climbs atop a corrugated roof to pick from Abuela’s mango tree, its fruit, writes González, “the sweetest snack.” “And when night falls, a song fills the air”—the serenade of the coquí frogs—to which Elena responds, “Co-quí, Co-qui. Oh, how I love thee.” That love proves sustaining as a hurricane tears the roof from the family’s house and defoliates the countryside. The family emerges, “wet and scared, but we are alive,” in a picture book that centers garden as gathering place, “where seeds of hope are planted.” Quiles communicates abundance, joy, and loss through expressive brushwork: the jewel-toned gouache and acrylics, finished digitally, produce detailed, almost-pluckable mangoes, while rough strokes depict the coming-apart of the fabric of daily life. Endnotes convey the larger message: self-determination for Puerto Rico. Available in English and Spanish editions. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"What a story of resilience and community! The Coquies Still Sing gives the reader the opportunity to recognize the things that we can do together to rebuild our lives and take care of our beloved communities. This book is more than beautiful." - Yuyi Morales, Caldecott Honoree and New York Times bestselling creator of Dreamers

"González’s melodic text sings, like Elena’s beloved coquíes, while Quiles’ gouache and acrylic artwork pops with vibrant hues and textures. . . A heartfelt reminder that even in the most difficult times, dreaming of a better tomorrow strengthens family and community." - Kirkus, starred review

"One family’s resilience amid disaster is the soaring note in this full-throated tribute to Puerto Rico’s survival following Hurricane María. . . Quiles communicates abundance, joy, and loss through expressive brushwork: the jewel-toned gouache and acrylics, finished digitally, produce detailed, almost-pluckable mangoes, while rough strokes depict the coming-apart of the fabric of daily life." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A hopeful yellow permeates Quiles’s textured gouache and acrylic...illustrations, visible in the flesh of a mango, candlelight during the storm, glowing seeds of “gold,” and finally the returning coquíes. González’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." - Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

07/22/2022

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 María 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 coquíes that share their nightly song, stands bare and battered. The coquíes 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 coquíes 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-quí, 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

School Library Journal

★ 2022-07-13
The sounds of returning coquí frogs bring hope after a devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico.

Elena, a child, lives with their abuela, papí, and younger brother in an idyllic tropical home. The mango tree in the yard provides sweet fruit and shade, and the coquíes sing their song in the garden every night. Disaster comes in the form of Hurricane María, which makes landfall on Elena’s island. Howling winds and rain pummel the family’s home and devastate the landscape. The storm is harrowing, but the family makes it through. Elena’s beloved mango tree has been severely damaged, and “the coquíes’ song is silent.” Elena and their neighbors work to rebuild their homes and community. Elena processes the numerous losses they have experienced and waits patiently for the coquíes to return. When the mango tree begins to sprout new buds, Abuela reminds Elena how strong they are. When the coquí song again rings out, Elena knows that even though their home is forever changed, some things will always remain the same. This is a poignant family story that details a real-life tragic event and the courage of its survivors. González’s melodic text sings, like Elena’s beloved coquíes, while Quiles’ gouache and acrylic artwork pops with vibrant hues and textures. Elena has brown skin and wavy brown hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartfelt reminder that even in the most difficult times, dreaming of a better tomorrow strengthens family and community. (glossary, information on Hurricane María, author’s and illustrator’s notes, list of organizations devoted to conservation and biodiversity efforts) (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews