Doña Fela’s Dream
by Monica Brown; illus. by Rose Ibarra
Primary    Little, Brown    48 pp.
9/24    9780316178358    $18.99
Spanish ed.  9780316581660    $11.99

A richly illustrated picture-book biography of Puerto Rico’s first female mayor, Felisa Rincón de Gautier (1897–1994), with a lively text. As a tropical storm batters San Juan at the start of the book, the fearful residents seek refuge in the home of their trusted local hero, lovingly called Doña Fela. Born to a wealthy family, she recognized the social inequities in Puerto Rico from an early age, particularly those faced by Black Puerto Ricans and jibaros (farmworkers). Despite the gender restrictions of the time, which initially prevented her from voting or holding office, she maintained a strong commitment to helping the less privileged, from small acts such as providing coffee and bread to farmworkers to eventually cofounding a political party on the island. Her achievements as mayor included affordable housing, cleaner streets, and establishing the first preschools in the city. Boldly colored oil-paint illustrations admiringly portray Fela, her fellow Puerto Ricans, and the island itself. Fela is depicted in bright-colored clothing with a flower in her hair, helping readers follow her across spreads as the book moves from her youth into her later years. Back matter includes a glossary of Spanish terms, an author’s note providing further context and discussing Fela’s lasting influence on Puerto Rican women in politics, and an artist’s note describing her personal connection to the subject. A Spanish paperback ­edition will be published in October.

From the "September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.