Sammy Y Samuel (Sammy and Samuel)

Un niño latino que va a conocer a sus familiares de Guatemala por primera vez aprende que el amor y la alegría trascienden las barreras del idioma en este divertido cuento sobre la familia y la conexión. Sammy está vibrando de la emoción. ¡Va a ir a conocer a sus familiares en Guatemala por primera vez! Pero cuando Sammy por fin llega, en vez de vibrar empieza a temblar. Se siente abrumado por todos los tíos, las tías, primos y primas que hablan español mucho más rápido que él. Pero luego Sammy conoce a Samuel, ¡y no solo tienen el mismo nombre, pero también los mismos gustos! Persiguiendo gallinas, jugando fútbol, y construyendo fuertes, los primos se entienden perfectamente sin importar qué idioma estén hablando. Y cuando es tiempo de volver a casa, Sammy sabe que siempre estarán conectados, como eslabones en una cadena. A young Latino boy meeting his Guatemalan relatives for the first time learns that love and laughter transcend language barriers in this joyful picture book about family and belonging. Sammy is shimmering with excitement. For the first time ever, he’s going to Guatemala to meet his relatives! But when Sammy arrives, his shimmer becomes a quiver. He’s overwhelmed by all the tíos and tías and primos and primas who speak Spanish so much faster than he can. Then Sammy meets his cousin Samuel, and not only do they have the same name, but they also like the same things! While chasing chickens, playing fútbol, and building forts, the primos understand each other perfectly—no matter what language they’re speaking. And when it’s time to go home, Sammy knows they’ll still be connected, like links on a chain.

Jennifer De Leon is the author of young adult novels Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From and Borderless and the picture book Sammy and Samuel. She is the second recipient of the We Need Diverse Books grant, the editor of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education, and a creative writing professor. She lives outside of Boston. Mercè López is the illustrator of picture books Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan and Sammy and Samuel by Jennifer De Leon, as well as several other projects for different markets from design, editorial, cinema, and theatre to publishing with Spanish and international book publishers. She has a degree in illustration from Llatoja Art School in Barcelona, and recently moved to Mallorca, Spain, for a new adventure. Daniela Villegas Valle’s first language is Spanish, and she has been translating ever since she first started appreciating reading books in their original language. She is also an editor of children’s literature.