BookPeople Presents: Gloria Amescua - Abuelita's Song

Please welcome Gloria Amescua and Debbie Zapata to celebrate Abuelita's Song!

This event is free and open to the public.

• Start time: 2:00 P.M.
• Run time: 45-60 minutes, followed by a signing line.
• Location: The second floor of BookPeople.

The author will be signing and personalizing copies of the book after the speaking portion of the event.

• To get a book signed, a copy of the event book or an item of equal value must be purchased from BookPeople.

Guidelines:

• Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

• If you have any other questions, please visit our Eventbrite FAQ. If your question isn't covered in the FAQ, feel free to email us at [email protected].
• All event guidelines are subject to change.
• BookPeople reserves the right to cancel or postpone this event if necessary.
• There will not be a live stream or recording available.

About the book:

From Pura Belpré Honor author Gloria Amescua comes a sweet picture book integrating Spanish words and celebrating the family and music that connects us all.

Every night, when the sun says buenas noches, a mother sings a special lullaby to her baby boy: ¿Dónde está mi corazón? Aquí, aquí, aquí en mis brazos.

As he gets older, the boy asks for his song over and over until it’s forever in his heart. When the boy grows up and moves away, he teaches the song to his daughters. And now that Abuelita is coming for a visit, the girls plan a surprise for her: they are going to sing her song, “La canción del corazón.”

About the author:

Gloria Amescua has been writing poems and stories since she was a child. Her latest book Abuelita’s Song, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman, is inspired by her granddaughters. Her debut picture book biography, Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, is a Pura Belpré Author Honor Book. It also won three International Latino Book Awards and was a national SCBWI Golden Kite finalist, a RISE Feminist Book Project Top Ten selection, on various Best of lists, and a co-winner of the Américas Award. She loves books that reach a young person’s heart, head or funny bone and strives to do just that in her writing.

About the moderator:

Debbie Zapata, LCSW, earned her Master of Social Work from New York University and her MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She writes picture books for children that blend heart and humor. Her debut picture book, Up and Adam (Kids Can Press, 2022), was a 2023 Brigid Erin Flynn Award for Best Picture Book Finalist (Texas Institute of Letters). Her second picture book, Abuela’s Letter (Imagination Press, 2024), has been named a 2025 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children. Debbie’s stories are inspired by her social work experiences and her belief in the power of connection and community. Visit her website to learn more about her books and upcoming projects.

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Thank you for supporting Gloria Amescua, Debbie Zapata, and your local independent bookstore!

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