New Releases by Eric Velasquez

How does a bear go to the ballet? A polar bear escapes into New York City in this heartfelt picture book from award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez. A wordless story of unlikely friendship that celebrates art and its ability to connect us. However, this picture book also opens a conversation about alienation and empathy. Who is kept out of the theater? How can we welcome them in? A deeply personal story, author Eric Valqueuez sees himself in this tale. When dancers have a photoshoot at the Central Park Zoo, a young, African American ballerina and a polar bear form a special friendship. When his new friend leaves her scarf behind, the polar bear must venture through Central Park and out into Manhattan to return it before her performance at the Lincoln Center. However, the theater goers eye the strange bear with suspicion. When the ushers won’t let him inside, the ballerina comes to his rescue and welcomes him in. The polar bear has dreamed of seeing the ballet, and now he gets to be a part of it in the most surprising way. The wordless narrative is told through expressive and detailed oil paintings. On the endpapers, readers learn more about these loveable characters with illustrations of zoo signage about polar bears and a magazine article about the young ballerina. Eric Velasquez, author-illustrator of Bank Street Best Book of the Year Octopus Stew, brings a dream-like magicto this tale of empathy and kindred spirits.

How does a bear go to the ballet? A polar bear escapes into New York City in this heartfelt picture book from award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez. A wordless story of unlikely friendship that celebrates art and its ability to connect us. However, this picture book also opens a conversation about alienation and empathy. Who is kept out of the theater? How can we welcome them in? A deeply personal story, author Eric Valqueuez sees himself in this tale. When dancers have a photoshoot at the Central Park Zoo, a young, African American ballerina and a polar bear form a special friendship. When his new friend leaves her scarf behind, the polar bear must venture through Central Park and out into Manhattan to return it before her performance at the Lincoln Center. However, the theater goers eye the strange bear with suspicion. When the ushers won''t let him inside, the ballerina comes to his rescue and welcomes him in. The polar bear has dreamed of seeing the ballet, and now he gets to be a part of it in the most surprising way. The wordless narrative is told through expressive and detailed oil paintings. On the endpapers, readers learn more about these loveable characters with illustrations of zoo signage about polar bears and a magazine article about the young ballerina. Eric Velasquez, author-illustrator of Bank Street Best Book of the Year Octopus Stew, brings a dream-like magicto this tale of empathy and kindred spirits.

Where could Bongo be? Help a young boy find his beloved toy—and figure out how it got lost to begin with. Eric Velasquez''s cozy and playful story is now available in Spanish. The boy knows Bongo was right there with him this morning. But now, Bongo is missing. He asks his whole family if they''ve seen the stuffed toy. "Yo no sé," says his abuela. "I don''t know." Mamá and papá haven''t seen him either. And Gato just meows and runs away. When he finds Bongo, the boy is thrilled—but he still doesn''t understand how his toy ended up there. So that night, he sets a trap to catch the Bongo thief. . . . Eric Velasquez''s detailed, expressive illustrations follow the boy''s investigation throughout his home, giving readers a glimpse of a warm, multi-generational familia Afro-Latina.

Coretta Scott King and John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Eric Velasquez shines in the perfect picture book to read with grandparents. Every summer, Eric goes to live with his grandmother in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) while his parents work. Through the long hot days, Grandma fills her apartment with the blaring horns and conga drums of Bomba y Plena, salsa, and merengue-the music she grew up with in Puerto Rico-sharing her memories and passions with Eric. But Eric sees Grandma in a new light when she gets them tickets to hear their favorite band in concert. The music sounds so different than it does at home on their scratchy records. And then the lead singer serenades Grandma right in front of the whole audience! Join Eric Velasquez on a magical journey through time and across cultures, as a young boy''s passion for music and art is forged by a powerful bond between generations.

What do you do when an octopus captures Grandma? Put on your superhero cape and rescue her! Award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez''s delightfully meta story is now in Spanish. Bank Street Mejor Libro Infantil Silver Medalist The octopus Grandma is cooking has grown to titanic proportions. "¡Tenga cuidado!" Ramsey shouts. "Be careful!" But it''s too late. The octopus traps Grandma! Ramsey must use both art and intellect to free his beloved abuela. Then the story takes a surprising twist. And it can be read two ways. Open the fold-out pages to find Ramsey telling a story to his family. Keep the pages folded, and Ramsey''s octopus adventure is real. This beautifully illustrated picture book, drawn from the author''s childhood memories, celebrates creativity, heroism, family, grandmothers, grandsons, Puerto Rican food, Latinx culture and more. With an author''s note and the Velasquez family recipe for Octopus Stew! A Bank Street Best Children’s Picture Book of the Year in Spanish! A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year Una selección del Junior Library Guild

What do you do when an octopus captures Grandma? Put on your superhero cape and rescue her! This clever picture book tells two stories in one, from award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez. The octopus Grandma is cooking has grown to titanic proportions. "¡Tenga cuidado!" Ramsey shouts. "Be careful!" But it''s too late. The octopus traps Grandma! Ramsey uses both art and intellect to free his beloved abuela. Then the story takes a surprising twist. And it can be read two ways. Open the fold-out pages to find Ramsey telling a story to his family. Keep the pages folded, and Ramsey''s octopus adventure is real. This beautifully illustrated picture book, drawn from the author''s childhood memories, celebrates creativity, heroism, family, grandmothers, grandsons, Puerto Rican food, Latinx culture and more. With an author''s note and the Velasquez family recipe for Octopus Stew! A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

This prequel to Eric Velasquez''s biographical picture book Grandma''s Records is the story of a Christmas holiday that young Eric spends with his grandmother. After they prepare their traditional Puerto Rican Christmas celebration, Eric and Grandma visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a school project, where he sees a painting by Diego Velasquez and realizes for the first time that he could be an artist when he grows up. Grandma witnesses his fascination, and presents Eric with the perfect Christmas gift-a set of paints-to use in his first steps toward becoming an artist. A heart-warming story of self-discovery, Grandma''s Gift is a celebration of the special bond between a grandparent and grandchild.

A wise man named Brulla Roberts once said. "Drummer man''s magic doesn''t come from the drum. The magic comes from the drummer man. "Undoubtedly true, but, as six-year-old David knows only too well, without that drum there is no drummer man! Ever since he can remember. David''s "felt the itch in his fingers and the rhythm in his wrists." He''s tried keeping time with anything and everything , including spoons. knives. and shoes. To Mom''s dismay, he''s even taken apart the legs of a kitchen chair! One Sunday morning. Mom and Dad present him with a real drum and sticks. As Dad says, "Now you don''t have to break the furniture." Racing across town to join Brulla''s marching band, David drums his heart out. And when a few short hours later that drum tears, so does David''s heart. A touching memoir of jazz drummer, David "Panama" Francis. this glowingly illustrated picture book will inspire and captivate young musicians as well as any child with a dream. Luminous oil paintings enhance the gentle story and further reveal the magic of music and the joy it gave to one "drummer man" from old Miami.

To complete a school project, Eric has to see the new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum during his Christmas vacation. His grandmother promises to make the trip with him after she has prepared the typical pasteles and bought the holiday presents. What they discover at the museum, prove to be a life-long inspiration for Eric.

Carole Boston Weatherford''s lyrical stanzas combine with the power of Eric Velasquez''s luminous oil paintings to trace the development of jazz, the quintessential American musical art form. From an African forest to a wooden slave ship to a Harlem nightclub, it is the tragic & joyous legacy of the African-American experience that gives jazz its passion & its spirit. Young readers will be mesmerized by this book which eloquently celebrates that remarkable legacy with a poetic symphony of sound & color. Every page is a moving, breathing, feeling work of art. Winner of the Carter G. Woodson Award; CBC-NCSS Notable Children''s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; & NAACP Image Award, Nominee.

The author describes his boyhood summers spent at his grandmother''s apartment in Spanish Harlem where she intoduced him to the sounds and steps of the merengue and the conga and told him stories of Puerto Rico.

Oh no! A boy''s beloved stuffed toy, Bongo, is missing. No one can help him. When he asks his abuela where Bongo is, she answers, "Yo no se. I don''t know." Mom and Dad haven''t seen Bongo either. Gato just says "Meow," and runs away. When Bongo finally turns up behind Dad''s drum, the problem of Bongo''s whereabouts is resolved . . . but it doesn''t answer how Bongo got there! The boy decides to set a trap to catch the Bongo thief. Rich illustrations help tell the story of a mystery cleverly solved.