Singing with Elephants (NYT Best Children's Books of 2022)

A powerful novel in verse from Newbery and Pura Belpr?Award-winning author Margarita Engle about the friendship between a young girl and the poet Gabriela Mistral that leads to healing and hope for both of them.

Cuban-born eleven-year-old Oriol lives in Santa Barbara, California, where she struggles to belong. But most of the time that's okay, because she enjoys helping her parents care for the many injured animals at their veterinary clinic.

Then Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature, moves to town, and aspiring writer Oriol finds herself opening up. As she begins to create a world of words for herself, Oriol learns it will take courage to stay true to herself and do what she thinks is right--attempting to rescue a baby elephant in need--even if it means keeping secrets from those she loves.

A beautifully written, lyrically told story about the power of friendship-- between generations, between humans and animals--and the potential of poetry to inspire action and acceptance.

Margarita Engle (she/her) is the Cuban American author of many books, including the verse novels Your Heart, My Sky; Rima’s Rebellion; Newbery Honor winner The Surrender Tree; and Forest World. Her verse memoirs include Soaring Earth and Enchanted Air, the latter of which received the Pura Belpré Award and a Walter Dean Myers Honor, and was a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, among other honors. Her picture books include Drum Dream Girl, Dancing Hands, and The Flying Girl. Visit her at MargaritaEngle.com.