Sonia Manzano

Ruthie loves Superman. Ruthie wants to be Superman. And when Ruthie is asked to go spend the afternoon with her aunt, who is about to have a baby any day day now and may need some help, Ruthie seizes the opportunity. It could be her chance to be a hero, should the baby come while she's visiting! But when Ruthie is out fetching a snack for her aunt, she gets so distracted by a box full of kittens in the bodega that she doesn't hear her aunt calling for her, nor does she notice the policemen running to the apartment or the ambulance pulling to the curb.

Sonia Manzano, Sesame Street's beloved character Maria, brings warmth and wit to this timely picture book that looks across cultures and generations to celebrate what unites us, wherever we come from. Manzano's lyrical prose combined with stunning photography of people from dozens of countries around the world explores how all of our lives are enriched by our geographic and cultural diversity.

Set in the 1950s in the Bronx, the story of Emmy award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano ("Maria" from Sesame Street) plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving and troubled. When readers meet young Sonia, she is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and nosy neighbors. Each day she is glued to the TV screen that blots out the painful realities of her existence and also illuminates the possibilities that lie ahead.

Fifteen-time Emmy Award winner and Pura Belpré honoree Sonia Manzano examines the impact of the 1959 Cuban Revolution on four children from very different walks of life. In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting effects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Through these snapshot stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity.

It's Christmas Eve and Mami has bought a delicious roast for a Christmas feast. But it’s too big to fit in the oven! Jose and Papa need to find an oven big enough to cook Mami’s roast. As they walk from door to door through their apartment building, no one seems to be in the Christmas spirit. So they head down the street to find someone willing to help, and only when they do, lo and behold, the scent — the itself magical smell — of dinner begins to spread, and holiday cheer manifests in ways most unexpected.

A large, extended Latino family leaves their hot city neighborhood for an outing in the "Enchanted State Park." The park allows everything except dogs, however, so each family member takes a turn sitting with him on the parking lot. Lively illustrations show the days' goings on.

There are two secrets Evelyn Serrano is keeping from her Mami and Papi: her true feelings about growing up in her Spanish Harlem neighborhood, and her attitude about Abuela, her sassy grandmother who's come from Puerto Rico to live with them. Then, like an urgent ticking clock, events erupt that change everything. The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican activist group, dump garbage in the street and set it on fire, igniting a powerful protest. When Abuela steps in to take charge, Evelyn is thrust into the action. Tempers flare, loyalties are tested.