Books
Alma and How She Got Her Name
By Juana Martinez-Neal
Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
A 2019 Caldecott Honor Book What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
- The universal ritual of listening to one's birth story or the story of one's name is here delightfully enhanced by the cultural specificity of young Alma's situation: she has many names, each honoring a member of her extended family!
- Juana Martinez-Neal is not new to children's book illustration, but Candlewick Press has the privilege of publishing her first book as author-illustrator. She has another picture book coming from Houghton Mifflin and two more signed up with us, so expect to see her star rise rapidly!
- A picture book by a Peruvian-born artist builds Candlewick's growing list of diverse and own-voices titles.
About the author
Juana Martinez-Neal is the daughter and granddaughter of painters. She started her story in Lima, Peru, and then moved to the United States. The winner of a 2018 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, Juana Martinez-Neal is still writing the story of her life, with the help of her husband and three children, in Arizona.
ISBN:
9780763693558
Imprint:
Candlewick
Distributor:
Walker Australia-HEDS
Binding:
Hardback
Release Date:
April 1, 2018
Dimensions:
240 x 230mm, 32pp
Stock Status:
Confirmed
Australian RRP:
$24.99
New Zealand RRP:
$27.99
Stock Level:
In Stock