Starring Carmen by Anika Denise, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez
Meet Carmen! She LOVES the spotlight and applause. She’s an actress, a singer, a dancer—a one-girl sensación! She exhausts her parents with her nightly performances and completely overshadows Eduardo, her adoring little brother. But when Eduardo shows his big sister how much he loves her in a way even Carmen can’t ignore, will Carmen realize that the stage is big enough for two?
Exuberant illustrations by Lorena Alvarez Gómez offer the perfect compliment to Anika Denise’s warm, Spanish-sprinkled text in this celebration of theater, family, and imagination. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
And now for the cover reveal…
Starring Carmen Advance Release Copy GIVEAWAY
We are giving away am ARC copy of Starring Carmen when it becomes available. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter. U.S. mailing addresses only.
BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
This looks like an excellent diversity picture book! Thank you for the contest!
Thanks so much for entering John!
I like books that show regular kids doing regular things – but those regular kids come in all shapes and sizes. ‘The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read’ is a recent favorite of mine.
Hi Alyssa,
Yes! Me too! I love books where the diversity of the characters is not the point of the story!
The Librarian of Basra is one of our favorites. It’s such a foreign culture but with a story focused on a woman who loves books as much as we do, it’s a beautiful opportunity to see we’re all different but very much the same as well.
Hi Carla,
I love that book too! It’s amazing that a single person could make such a difference and save that many books!
What a fun multicultural read! Especially for kids interested in the arts and theater. I would have loved it as a kid.
Hi Pat,
Yes, I’m excited to read it!
My daughter is currently obsessing over the Katie Woo books which we found through your site!
Hi Kathy,
That makes me so happy! I’ll tell my daughter and her friends who delight in Katie Woo too!
This looks adorable!! Congrats to you, Anika!!
Hi Maria,
Yes, love the cover!
This looks adorable & I love the “sprinkling of Spanish” included in the text. Congratulations, Anika, on this upcoming publication.
Hi Patricia,
We are always looking for ways to sneak in Spanish learning in our house!
Same, Same But Different is an interesting book
Hi Olga,
I’ll have to find that book. It sounds familiar but I don’t think I’ve read it!
I love the cover art for this book!
Hi MaryAnne,
Me too! And I’m realizing how difficult it is to portray Latinx kids in illustrations. Also Asians without stereotyped slanty eyes. Diversity in children’s books is a real challenge.
I like the Frozen picture book.
Thanks for entering Edye. I still need to see Frozen.
This looks like a great book! Congratulations.
Thanks so much Pat!
This looks so fun!!! Since both my girls are drama queens who don’t want anyone to take their spotlight, this hits right at the heart of it for us. I love that it is a diverse title too!
Hi Michelle,
Sounds like the perfect fit! 🙂