Sing, Don't Cry

By Angela Dominguez

Once a year, Abuelo comes from Mexico to visit his family. He brings his guitar, his music—and his memories.

In this story inspired by the life of Apolinar Navarrete Diaz—author Angela Dominguez’s grandfather and a successful mariachi musician—Abuelo and his grandchildren sing through the bad times and the good. Lifting their voices and their spirits, they realize that true happiness comes from singing together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Aug 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781250183767

Angela Dominguez

Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City and grew up in the great state of Texas. She now resides on the east coast with her boyfriend, Kyle, and their petite dog, Petunia. She is also the author and illustrator of several books for children and a two-time recipient of Pura Belpré Illustration Honor. Her debut middle grade novel, Stella Díaz Has Something To Say, was a New York Public Library and a Chicago Public Library pick for Best Books for Kids, Sid Fleischman Award winner, and an ALA Notable. She recently illustrated Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s newest picture book, Just Help! How to Build a Better World. As a child, she loved reading books and making a mess creating pictures. She’s delighted to still be doing both.

Book preview

Reviews for Sing, Don't Cry

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet, lovely picture book with an Abuelo's caring voice, and a suggestion that singing can cure almost any sorrow, bring an end to loneliness, and ease the heart.

[bookbrig-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved the art, and I really liked the author's note.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Every year Abuelo comes from Mexico to visit his two grandchildren, bringing his guitar, his music, and his great spirit with him. "Sing, Don't Cry," he tells his grandson and granddaughter, helping them through the disappointments of childhood, from being left out of the football team to losing one's favorite stuffed animal. Singing keeps the spirits up, and may lead to good things, he tells them... and so it proves.Apparently inspired by author/artist Angela Dominguez's own grandfather, Apolinar Navarette Diaz, a successful mariachi musician in Mexico who would visit Dominguez and her family when she was a child, Sing, Don't Cry offers a heartwarming look at a loving, close-knit family, and is clearly meant as a tribute to the optimistic spirit that Diaz imparted to his loved ones. The artwork, done in pencil and then colored digitally, is charming, perfectly capturing the emotional register of each scene. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books with a Latino / Mexican-American cultural background, or for children's stories about the grandparent-grandchild relationship.