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Charles George Esperanza

@cgesperanza

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Caldecott honor, Coretta Scott King and Odyssey Award winning picturebook author/Illustrator/musician from da BX. Repped by @agentzacker

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Catch up on the September news you may have missed from #TeamGZLA!

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New York City, Part 1! I had a wonderful time visiting several amazing bookstores, attending the Latinx Kid Lit Storytellers Conference, eating at my favorite restaurant Sullaluna, seeing standup at the Comedy Cellar, and walking around the Chelsea Market all with a bunch of awesome friends, new and old! 😁

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Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month with this recap. Still coming down from the high… it only took me 3 days. 🫠😅

The Latinx Storytellers Conference was pure magic from start to finish. I could have taken more pics for sure but sharing a few highlights! Swipe to read more

#childrenbookillustration #illustrator #creativejourney #hispanicheritagemonth ❤️‍🔥

Glad I brought in my portfolio! It was my first time putting one together, but after a portfolio skills workshop with @kungfusalsa , I have clearer picture of where my gaps are and what to focus on next. Should I do a portfolio tour?

Mornings started with cafecitos and a skyline view, conversations sliding between spanish and english ❤️‍🔥.

@_jacqueline_alcantara and @cgesperanza spread their original art across the table and walked us through how a story actually gets built starting from the image, not the words, and my brain hasn’t stopped since.

@megmedinabooks was such a generous, thoughtful and joyful speaker! Her stories resonated with me so much I literally can’t stop talking about her. Ask my husband 😅

@writerjalvarez took the keynote chair and answered every question like time wasn’t a factor, the whole room quietly in awe, while @krystalquiles adaptation of In the Time of the Butterflies played on screen behind her, even more stunning in person.

One thing that made the conference even more special was making new friends ❤️ who also happen to be insanely talented writers and illustrators that I admire

And got to hug my shero @areynosomorris , the person who told me about this event in the first place. Full circle doesn’t even cover it.

Thank you to the whole @lkbfstorytellers team for making this happen. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 what a wonderful experience. See you next year!

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🖤🌿✨ Hispanic Heritage Month is here — and we're centering the voices that have always been at the intersection.

Afro-Latine authors carry a dual legacy — the rhythms of the African diaspora and the richness of Latinidad — and their stories deserve to be at the heart of The Culture's literary conversation.

For too long, the narrative of what it means to be Latine has been told without them. But Blackness and Latinidad are not opposing identities. They are deeply, historically, beautifully intertwined — and the literature reflects that.

When we read Afro-Latine authors, we discover:

🖤 Stories that hold both without apology
🌺 Histories that the mainstream has tried to erase
✍🏾 Voices that expand what Black literature looks, sounds, and feels like
🌊 A diaspora that stretches across oceans, languages, and borders

Afro-Latine authors don't just deserve a moment. They deserve a permanent place on your shelf. September 15th to October 15th is the celebration, but their stories are for every season, every mood, every late night when you need a book that holds your full humanity.

NBLC thanks these authors for their contribution to The Culture.

👇 Drop your favorite Afro-Latine author or book below.

#HispanicHeritageMonth #AfroLatine #WeRead #AfroLatinx #BlackLiterature #NBLC #TheBlackLiteraryCommunity #AfroLatineAuthors #BlackBooks #DiasporaLit #ReadBlack #InclusionMatters #Latinidad #AfricanDiaspora #BookCommunity #DiverseBooks

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If you like books about fishing and nature like...
"Down by the RIver" by Andrew Weiner, illustrated by April Chu
"Walter the Wily Walley" by @BobAllenauthor, illustrated by @ScottAlberts
"That's Papa's Way" by Kate Banks, illustrated by Lauren Castillo @studiocastillo
"Hooked" by Tommy Greenwald, illustrated by David McPhail

AND books about food, family and traditions like...
"Soul Food Sunday" and "Fish Fry Friday" by Winsome Bingham @armyvetfive, illustrated by @cgesperanza
"Thank you Omu" by @oge_mora
"Fry Bread" by noblemaillard, illustrated by @juanamartinezn
You will LOVE "Fridays are for Fish Frys" written and illustrated by ME, Laura Sprtel! :)
Available now!
#kidlit #booktok #fishfry #wisconsin #picturebook

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Reveling in the little things, quiet moments, time with loved ones, time alone, picture books, my favorite vegan ice cream, a movie night in, working from coffee shops and taco spots, a bookstore cat, my sweet pup 💚

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Thank you for spending a beautiful Summer with us in the Literacy Garden!

Together, since June we’ve achieved the following:

3+ authors/Illustrators led storytimes
20+ hours of literacy & gardening programming
200+ books distributed
1,000+ flowers distributed
10,000+ seeds planted

All this was done for FREE for the community.

In three short months, we’ve activated a hidden gem of a Community Garden into a vibrant beacon for budding land stewards and young scholars by creating new bonds among neighbors and strengthening family bonds. And most importantly, we’ve all gained the tools and resources needed to continue the work in our home gardens + home libraries throughout the winter months.

Summer Slide, where?!

The Literacy Garden is taking a brief programming break in September and we’ll return to close out the autumn season with you all in October 💗

A special thank you to our collaborators without whom this impact-work would have been impossible: @nyrp @partnershipsforparks @cpfnyc @wedoit_too @blackgirlshaveteapartiestoo @wildfloraldesigns @leeandlow @cgesperanza @bailabomba @authorjdelavega @smrk_871345 @tocarraslibrary @makeitcutekids 🌱📚💐 #everydaybronx

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iPhone memories of storytime @thebabymeetup - June 2024! Where has the time gone?! 🥺💗📚

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THE "C" IN COOL STANDS FOR "COWBOYS" 🐎🌵

And what's cooler than learning about real-life cowboys? Come grab your fill of Old West stories and history from the ol' Vault, with picks like:

➡ THE NEW BLACK WEST by Gabriela Hasbun (@gabrielahasbun)
➡ MY DADDY IS A COWBOY, written by Stephanie Seales (@blackbookbruja) and illustrated by C. G. Esperanza (@cgesperanza)
➡ BLACK HEROES OF THE WILD WEST by James Otis Smith, with an introduction by Kadir Nelson (@kadirnelson)

#allages #wildwest #blackhistory #childrensbookillustration #vaultofmidnight

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Our virtual workshop in @nyrp’s series “Pathways to Connection in the Garden” about nurturing community gardens as family-friendly literacy spaces is now available on their @youtube page! Link is bio to watch / listen and some sneak peaks on the slides highlighted from the free workshop - including answering the biggest question I get “how did you get all your books & flowers?!” 😂😏

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Late Summer in the Literacy Garden 📚🌱

August 2026 💗
📍Bette’s Rose Garden

#everydaybronx

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A garden that grows home libraries 💗

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