Listen Back: Lorena Alvarez shares Hicotea

Original Air Date: July 8, 2019

Lorena Alvarez shares HICOTEA, a companion graphic novel to her 2017 debut, NIGHTLIGHTS. Guest host Mel Schuit interviews Lorena at the American Library Association's annual conference and they discuss the art and inspiration behind the graphic novels. For those not yet familiar, NIGHLIGHTS is a beautiful story about fear, insecurity, and creativity. In HICOTEA, Sandy, the protagonist from NIGHTLIGHTS, returns to explore a magical new dimension.

Listen along:

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

On a school field trip to the river, Sandy wanders away from her classmates and discovers an empty turtle shell. Peeking through the dark hole, she suddenly finds herself within a magical realm. Filled with sculptures, paintings and books, the turtle's shell is a museum of the natural world. But one painting is incomplete, and the turtle needs Sandy's help to finish it.

Every night, tiny stars appear out of the darkness in little Sandy's bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings that cover her room.

One day, Morfie, a mysterious pale girl, appears at school. And she knows all about Sandy's drawings...

Nightlights is a beautiful story about fear, insecurity, and creativity, from the enchanting imagination of Lorena Alvarez.

SHOW NOTES:

• Learn more about Lorena Alvarez at thebrightagency.com/us/childrens/artists/lorena-alvarez-gomez