The Dog Who Loved the Moon - Hardcover

Cristina GarcÍa is the author of five novels, including the National Book Award finalist Dreaming in Cuban; children’s books; anthologies; and poetry. Her work has been translated into a dozen languages, and she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Whiting Writers’ Award, among other honors. She has taught literature and writing at numerous universities, and divides her time between Texas and northern New Mexico. Visit her website at CristinaGarciaNovelist.com.  

Sebastià Serra lives with his family in a village near Barcelona, Spain, in a house facing the Mediterranean Sea. He studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona, and has illustrated several books in Spain and in the United States. You can visit him online at www.sebastiaserra.com.

Every evening, Pilar puts on her pink slippers and dances, but her cute puppy, Paco, never joins in. Instead, he stares longingly at the moon, howling when it’s full until the neighbors complain. If only Pilar could give Paco the moon. Then during Pilar’s birthday fiesta, the joy created by her family’s festive music and dancing seems to reach all the way to la luna, and it seems as if Pilar might get her wish. In her children’s book debut, García, author of the adult novel Dreaming in Cuban (1992), offers a warm portrayal of a lively, close-knit Cuban community in a creative story filled with magic and folktale flavor. The descriptive, somewhat lengthy narrative incorporates Spanish terms, defined in context. The vibrant digital art fills the pages with whimsically rendered cartoonlike characters and settings, playfully angled views, and brightly colored details, including the magical moon. An entertaining, upbeat tale that celebrates community, family, traditions, a canine best friend, and the joyful rewards of music and dance. Grades K-3. --Shelle Rosenfeld