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PHILADELPHIA – Rafael López, illustrator of “Dancing Hands : How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln,” and Carlos Hernandez, author of “Sal and Gabi Break the Universe,” are the 2020 recipients of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award and Author Award, honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children’s books. The awards were announced today by REFORMA: National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking, an affiliate of the 91��ý (91��ý), and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of 91��ý, during the 91��ý Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits held January 24 - 28, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The awards are administered by the ALSC and REFORMA.

“Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln” is a story about Venezuelan born Teresa Carreño who started playing the piano as a very young girl and was writing songs by age six. Forced to flee Venezuela, she moved to New York, traveled to other cities to play the piano, and was invited to play for President Abraham Lincoln. The book was written by Margarita Engle and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

“Creating a sense of time and place through the use of colors and mixed media, Rafael López brings the story of Teresa Carreño to life,” said Pura Belpré Award Committee Chair Maria X. Peterson.

Renowned illustrator Rafael López is the recipient of many awards including the Pura Belpré award for illustration for Book Fiesta! in 2010 and Drum Dream Girl in 2016. He was born and raised in Mexico and currently lives and works in San Diego and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

The Belpré Committee selected three Honor Books for illustration.

“Across the Bay,” illustrated and written by Carlos Aponte and published by Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

In this book, Carlitos lives happily with his mother and abuela in Cataño, a ferry ride away from Old San Juan. As Carlitos wonders about his father’s life away from them, he journeys to the city. Over the course of his search, Carlitos encounters the vibrant sights and sounds of the city.

“My Papi Has a Motorcycle,” illustrated by Zeke Peña, written by Isabel Quintero and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Daisy’s father is a carpenter who comes from work in the evening to take her on an electrifying motorcycle ride where she gets to see her grandparents’ yellow house, the church, and also other carpenters at her dad’s work as well as the changes in her busy Latinx neighborhood.

“¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market,” illustrated and written by Raúl Gonzalez and published by Versify, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Little Lobo and his dog, Bernabé, make their rounds in a bustling border town market in this charming story that is sprinkled with Spanish and cultural references throughout. There is always more to see and do at el mercado, so let’s go because you never know who you’ll find there.

“Sal and Gabi Break the Universe” brings us a story about thirteen-year-old magician Sal Vidón as he moves to Florida where he meets Gabi Reál, an aspiring journalist and student council president. Together they try to solve the mystery of how Sal “breaks the universe” and why they are the only ones who can see the hole. The book was published by Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

“Carlos Hernandez takes us on a rollicking adventure with Sal and Gabi that spans multiple universes and challenges our understanding of dimensions,” said Peterson.

Carlos Hernandez is an English professor at the City University of New York. He is the author of “The Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria,” the inspiration for “Sal and Gabi Break the Universe,” his debut children’s novel. He currently lives in Queens, New York, with his wife Claire.

The Belpré Committee selected four Honor Books for narration.

“Lety Out Loud,” written by Angela Cervantes and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

“Lety Out Loud” introduces readers to a variety of immigrant experiences through Lety Muñoz, an English language learner who spends the summer volunteering at an animal shelter. Although initially hesitant to speak out, Lety learns to use her voice to stand up for others.

“The Other Half of Happy,” written by Rebecca Balcárcel and published by Chronicle Books.

As Quijana enters seventh grade, she feels in between, grappling with a new school, new friends, and her half-Guatemalan heritage. She struggles to find her place within her friendships and family, stumbling and succeeding on her path to discovering her authentic self.

“Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré,” written by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

In this inspiring picture book biography, Denise lyrically shares the life and work of librarian, storyteller, author and library advocate Pura Belpré. Following her from Puerto Rico to her new life in Nueva York, Denise’s text captures Belpré’s lifelong passion for storytelling and public libraries.

“Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

The story of Mexican American activist and World War I soldier José de la Luz Sáenz is told with exquisite detail in this picture book biography. His struggle against racism and injustice in early 20th century Texas is presented in a concise but thorough manner, complemented by extensive notes.

Members of the 2020 Committee: Chair Maria X. Peterson, Chicago Public Library; Linda Caycedo, Forest Hills, N.Y.; Alexandra Gomez, New York Public Library/BookOps, Long Island City, N.Y.; Guadalupe Leyva, Los Angeles Public Library; Pat Toney, Oakland (Calif.) Public Library; and Mercedes Zabawa, Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Public Library.

ALSC is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC members are committed to engaging communities to build healthy, successful futures for all children. To learn more about ALSC, visit their website at .

Founded in 1971, REFORMA is committed to promoting the development of library collections that include Spanish language and Latino oriented collections; advocating for library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; educating the Latino population of the availability of library resources; and the recruitment of bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support staff. For more information on REFORMA, visit .

For information on the Pura Belpré Award and other 91��ý Youth Media Awards, please visit .

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