Summary: In the village of La Paz, everyone is constantly singing. So much happy noise eventually causes the townspeople to wish for a little peace and quiet. So they throw out the old mayor and bring in Don Pepe, who guarantees change. In a classic "be careful what you wish for" scenario, Don Pepe delivers on his word and successfully makes singing illegal. For seven years the village remains quiet, until along comes a saucy gallito, who happily crows aloud every morning. Angered, Don Pepe makes it his personal mission to silence the rooster once and for all. He takes away the rooster's food, family, and sunlight and even threatens death, but the gallito still crows, "Kee-kee-ree-KEE!" and eventually inspires the rest of La Paz to join him in his triumphant singing. Don Pepe leaves town, and the villagers return to their loud, joyful ways. Told with a storyteller's flair, the narrative reads like a folktale, while Yelchin's mixed-media illustrations are vibrant and perfectly suit the text.

Author and Illustrator Background:

Author Carmen Agra Deedy has been writing for children for over two decades, writing well known titles such as The Library Dragon, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, 14 Cows for American and The Cheshire Cheese Cat. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1964. She grew up in Decatur, Georgia, where she lives today. Deedy began writing as a young mother and storyteller whose NPR commentaries on All Things Considered were collected and released under the title, Growing Up Cuban In Decatur, Georgia. The pithy collection of twelve stories soon garnered awards, among them a 1995 Publishers Weekly Best Audio (Adult Storytelling) and a 1996 Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Her children’s books have won numerous awards.

Russian-born artist illustrator Eugene Yelchin graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Theater Arts. He designed stage sets and costumes for dramas, comedies and ballets. He co-founded a children’s theatre in Siberia. After arriving to Boston, Yelchin took his portfolio to a variety of art directors, including one who worked for the Boston Globe, who mistook Yelchin’s stage designs for illustrations. Yelchin, understanding little, nodded enthusiastically and soon was illustrating for the Boston Globe.

Since then Yelchin’s art has appeared in magazines and newspapers and advertising campaigns. He even designed the original polar bears for Coca Cola. In 2006, Yelchin received the Tomie DePaola illustration award. His whimsical, expressive and realistic art attracted editors and art directors, and he has since illustrated many children’s books. In 2012, Breaking Stalin’s Nose, a middle grade novel that he had written and illustrated received a Newbery Honor award. Today, Yelchin speaks pretty perfect English, lives in California with his wife, Mary Kuryla, an accomplished writer, and their two children, Isaac and Ezra.