The Lucky Grapes: A New Year's Eve Story

Written by Tracey Kyle 

Illustrated by Marina Astudillo

 

Publisher: ‎Sky Pony 

Language: ‎English

Hardcover: ‎32 pages

ISBN-10: ‎1510768882

ISBN-13: ‎978-1510768888

 

Tonight there is a celebración for New Year’s Eve.

Rafa has been counting down the hours ‘til they leave.

 

It’s New Year’s Eve in Spain, and Rafa is excited to stay up for the first time ever to celebrate with his familia at the plaza. There’ll be fireworks and música and . . . grapes? Rafa finds out that he needs to eat a small grape with each of the twelve midnight chimes to bring luck in the New Year. Can he do it? Will he even make it to midnight?

 

Rafa frowns a little. The lucky grapes are small.

What happens if he drops one, or doesn’t eat them all?

 

Tracey Kyle’s read-aloud, rhyming text is sprinkled with words in Spanish, while Marina Astudillo’s authentic illustrations capture this popular tradition in all its joy and hope for the New Year. Young readers will be eager to count in Spanish with Rafa and experience this unique, enchanting celebration of culture. 

 

Tracey Kyle is a middle school Spanish teacher in Northern Virginia, where she lives with her husband and two very spoiled cats. When she’s not grading papers or working on a new story, she enjoys cooking, reading and yoga. The Lucky Grapes is her sixth book for children.

 

Marina Astudillo is a Spanish illustrator and graphic designer. Her signature style includes bold colors and painterly scenes of food, women, florals and day-to-day life. As a curious and observant person, she loves to capture the beauty of small things and whimsical moments. Originally from Madrid, she has also lived in Amsterdam and Toronto. Over the course of seven years, she has combined her career as a designer in advertising agencies with developing an artistic brand of her own. Her work has been put into branding, prints, accessories and many other supports. This is her first picture book.