Gwendolyn Zepeda's New Book

Sunflowers / Girasoles

by
Gwendolyn Zepeda
Illustrations by Alisha Gambino
Spanish translation by Gabriela Baeza
Ventura

“My name is Marisol. I’m seven years old. This spring, I helped my grandfather make a garden.”
First, Marisol and her grandfather had to prepare the ground. They pulled out the old plants and weeds. They mixed up all the dirt “to make it soft.”

Then it was time to plant the seeds. They planted seeds to grow the vegetables Mamá uses in soup—squash, onions, carrots, and cabbage. They planted seeds to grow the things she needs to make salsa—garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and chili peppers. They planted mint for Abuela’s tea. They planted watermelon seeds for Marisol and her brother. And for Grandad, they planted sunflower seeds because their “big black eyes with long yellow eyelashes” make him happy. And he likes to eat the seeds!

One day, Marisol’s grandfather gives her a small bag of sunflower seeds, but instead of eating them she plants them here and there—one in the corner of Mrs. Sosa’s yard, another in Mr. Binh’s yard. In fact, as she walks to school, she plants seeds in the corners of all the yards she passes. And she plants the last three seeds in the playground at school.

As the days pass, sometimes it’s rainy and sometimes it’s sunny. Finally, one bright day, Marisol’s sunflower surprise shines a bit of happiness all around.

The tender relationship between grandparent and grandchild is illuminated in this children’s book by author Gwendolyn Zepeda with warm illustrations by Alisha Gambino. Children ages 3-7 will sow and reap ideas of their own about ways to share a little joy, just as Marisol does with sunflowers.

Title: Sunflowers / Girasoles
Publication Date: May 31, 2009
To order call toll free 1-800-633-ARTE

Price: $15.95 Ages: 3-7

GWENDOLYN ZEPEDA is the author of a picture book for children, Growing Up with Tamales / Los tamales de Ana (Piñata Books, 2008); a collection of short prose for adults, To the Last Man I Slept with and All the Jerks Just Like Him (Arte Público Press, 2004); and a novel, Houston, We Have a Problema (Solana, 2009). She has written and illustrated her award-winning Web site, www.gwenworld.com, since 1997. She currently resides in Houston with her three sons.