Latinx in Publishing is thrilled to exclusively reveal the cover for the new middle grade novel by beloved Tejana author Diana López, LOS MONSTRUOS: FELICE AND THE WAILING WOMAN, coming from Kokila Books/Penguin in April 2023. The fantastic cover artwork is by Guatemalan comic and animation artist Pablo Leon.
When twelve-year old Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she stows away and lands in the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river. Growing up with her uncle Clem in Corpus Christi, Felice knew that she had been rescued from drowning—it’s where her intense fear of water comes from—but she had no idea her mother remained trapped between worlds, looking for her. Guided by the town’s eccentric mayor, Felice vows to help her mother make peace with events that have turned her into the most famous monstruo of US-Mexico border lore. Along the way, she meets the children of other monstruos—like La Lechuza and The Dancing Devil—and together, they free Tres Leches from magical and metaphorical curses that have haunted them all for generations.
The first in a series, Felice and the Wailing Woman brims with high stakes adventure, Mexican folklore, and a dash of magic that will have you staying up all night to finish reading. Diana López reframes lore with a positive feminist representation of the La Llorona myth, a perfect conversation starter for book clubs and classrooms. And there will be more books to come --subsequent books will follow the children of other monstruos, La Lechuza and The Dancing Devil.
Cover design by Kaitlin Yang with art direction by Theresa Evangelista.
Diana López
Diana López is the author of the adult novella Sofia’s Saints and numerous middle grade novels, including Confetti Girl, Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel, Nothing Up My Sleeve, and Lucky Luna. Her debut picture book, Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla, is available in English and Spanish. She also wrote Coco: A Story about Music, Shoes and Family, the novel adaptation of the Disney/Pixar film Coco. Diana retired after a career in education at both the middle grade and college levels, but she still enjoys meeting with students when she visits schools to chat about books and writing. She is a past mentor in the Latinx in Publishing Writer Mentorship Program, and currently serves as the President of the Texas Institute of Letters. Diana lives in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Pablo Leon
Pablo Leon is a Guatemalan author and artist. He currently lives in Los Angeles, jumping between working in the TV animation industry and comics. His original comic “The Journey,” about the true accounts of people migrating from Central America to the U.S., was a 2019 Eisner Award nominee. Some of his clients include Warner Brothers Animation, OddBot Inc, DreamWorks Animation, Bento Box Entertainment, and more. He is the illustrator for the bestselling and award nominated Miles Morales: Shock Waves for the Marvel/Scholastic partnership, and its sequel, Miles Morales: Stranger Tides. His forthcoming YA graphic novel, Silenced Voices, about two sisters during the Guatemalan civil war, comes out with Harper Alley in 2024.
