Publisher Description

Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Latino, Nuestras Voces shares inspiring Latino stories. In the summer of 1493, eleven-year-old Cocuyo is eager to find her place within her Tano community on the island of Quisqueya. But in less than a year, her home, her family and friends, and her daily life will be forever changed by the arrival of Europeans. As Cocuyo learns more and more about the strangers who arrive by sea--and what they want from Quisqueya and its people--she looks for ways to help her community. At first, the Tano try to befriend the strangers, but later they must protect themselves from invasion, disease, and enslavement. As the Tano resist and survive, Cocuyo becomes determined to help preserve the culture that she loves. In diary format, the Nuestras Voces series profiles inspiring characters and honors the joys, challenges, and outcomes of Latino experiences.

Author Biography

Danielle Smith-Llera grew up in coastal Virginia, hearing unforgettable tales about her Mexican and Irish ancestors. She first moved overseas to teach in international schools in Hungary and Brazil. Life in the U.S. Foreign Service has taken her around the world to live in India, Jamaica, Romania, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Washington, DC. She loves sharing stories--fiction, nonfiction, and a mixture of both--in classrooms, museum exhibits, and, of course, books. Juan Manuel Moreno grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a young boy, he was drawn to creating images. His first "job" was to color his newborn brother's head with bright felt pens! After studying graphic design, Juan lectured at the university and worked at various studios as an in-house illustrator for clients such as Warner, Disney, and Scholastic. In 2006, Juan and his wife, Patricia, settled in Barcelona, Spain, where he started his career as a freelance illustrator and continues to live today. His work appears in a number of magazines and books, including Cuentos Japoneses [Japanese Stories] and The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch.

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