Felíz New Year, Ava Gabriela!

Written by Alexandra Alessandri  

Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda 

 

Publisher: ‎ Albert Whitman & Company

Language: ‎ English

Hardcover: ‎ 32 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 0807504505

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0807504505

 

 

Ava's excited to say goodbye to el Año Viejo―but will her shyness keep her from joining in the celebration?

 

Ava Gabriela is visiting her extended family in Colombia for the holidays. She's excited to take part in family traditions such as making buñuelos, but being around all her loud relatives in an unfamiliar place makes Ava shy and quiet. How will Ava find her voice before she misses out on all the New Year's fun?

 

 

2020 Florida Book Awards, Young Children's Literature category, Silver Award

 

2021 International Latino Book Awards Bronze medal in The Mariposa Book Awards Best First Book, Children & Youth category

 

STARRED REVIEW! "This gentle family story lets readers know that shyness is nothing to worry about."―Kirkus Reviews starred review

 

"The book's vibrant colors reflect the story’s celebratory mood."―Booklist

 

"A story about overcoming shyness in a unique storybook setting, recommended."―School Library Journal

 

 

Alexandra Alessandri is the award-winning author of several books for children, including Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela! (Albert Whitman, 2020), Isabel and Her Colores go to School (Sleeping Bear Press, 2021), and The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía (Atheneum/S&S, 2023). The daughter of Colombian immigrants, she is also an educator, a writer for Curriculum Associates, and a poet, with some of her work appearing in The Acentos Review, Rio Grande Review, Atlanta Review, and Young Adult Review Network. Alexandra lives in Florida with her husband and son.

 

Addy is a Mexican illustrator, who loves color, learning, and exploring ways in which we could build kinder and more interdependent communities. Her biggest inspiration for drawing is that she knows that stories and art have an impact in the way people understand themselves and perceive others, building empathy, and affecting change in different ways.