Spelile Rivas’ monster children’s book named finalist
HOUSTON, TX August 2014—The Cucuy Stole My Cascarones / El Cucuy me robó los cascarones by Spelile Rivas and illustrated by Valeria Cervantes has been chosen as a finalist in the 2014 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards. These awards seek to honor the best books readily available to a North American audience in any format within the past year. Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference was founded in 2006 by writer and filmmaker Clay Stafford. Since then, it has developed a reputation as a leading advocate for writers and readers of all genres.
In this bilingual picture book, an imaginative boy overcomes his fears as he searches for his missing confetti eggs. Roberto and his mother made thirty dozen confetti-filled eggs for his birthday party. Roberto can’t wait to crack the hollowed, painted and confetti-stuffed eggs over his friends’ heads. But, when he goes to the kitchen to get the cascarones, they’re gone! The only clue they ever existed is a trail of confetti that leads to a shadow. The shadow of the cucuy, or boogeyman!
A party isn’t a party without cascarones. So, even though the cucuy has scary eyes, sharp claws and pointy fangs, Roberto resolves to get them back. He grabs his little red wagon with the squeaky wheels and follows the trail of confetti, only to discover the tamales, cake and piñata for his party also have been swiped by the cucuy! Children ages 4 – 8 will follow along in breathless anticipation as brave Roberto conquers his fears and gets his party back in this engaging sequel to No Time for Monsters / No hay tiempo para monstruos.
SPELILE RIVAS lives in Arlington, Texas, with her family. A former middle-school English teacher, she is the author of No Time for Monsters / No hay tiempo para monstruos (Piñata Books, 2010), winner of the 2010 Tejas Star Book Award.
VALERIA CERVANTES lives and works in the city of her birth, Mexico City, where she manages her own design bureau. A graphic designer and illustrator, she has a degree in graphic communication design. She has worked as an art coordinator for McGraw-Hill Interamericana and has collaborated with several publishing houses in Mexico and abroad. She is the illustrator of No Time for Monsters / No hay tiempo para monstruos (Piñata Books, 2010).
ARTE PÚBLICO PRESS is the nation’s largest and most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by U.S. Hispanic authors. Its imprint for children and young adults, Piñata Books, is dedicated to the realistic and authentic portrayal of the themes, languages, characters, and customs of Hispanic culture in the United States. Based at the University of Houston, Arte Público Press, Piñata Books and the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage project provide the most widely recognized and extensive showcase for Hispanic literary arts and creativity. For more information, please visit our website at www.artepublicopress.com.