I’m thrilled ot reveal the cover for my upcoming picture book biography: Mercedes Sosa: Voice of the People, coming out in September 2024 in English and Spanish, published by Lee & Low.

This book shares the incredible story of Mercedes Sosa, the Argentine singer who became known as the "voice of the voiceless." Born to humble circumstances in Tucumán, Argentina, Mercedes discovered her extraordinary talent—a voice that soared! With her compelling contralto, she crooned anthems dedicated to indigenous and working people, lifting their hearts, and encouraging them to stand up for their rights. Through the power of her voice, Mercedes conveyed messages of fairness, freedom, and justice, inspiring resilience, resistance, and hope, even in the face of adversity.

As an Argentina, I am extremely proud to be the author and illustrator of this book about Mercedes Sosa. Her songs were the soundtrack of my childhood and I'm excited to share the messages and the emotions in her music with young people everywhere.

I actually started designing the cover image long before I became the illustrator of this book. While working on the text, I used to listen to her music and draw as I listened, inspired by Mercedes’ strength and presence. In this illustration, I incorporated the colors and textures of the Argentine landscape and the sun on the flag along with an image of Mercedes in her iconic poncho singing and playing the bombo.

In Argentine culture, Mercedes is often associated with birds, and if you look carefully, you will find at least one bird in every image throughout the illustrations of this book and starting right here on the cover. The birds are meant to symbolize her soaring and powerful voice reaching through the clouds to inspire people everywhere.

Written and illustrated by Aixa Perez-Prado, and published by Children’s Book Press, Mercedes Sosa: Voice of the People will be out on September 17, 2024.

Pre-order the English version of Mercedes Sosa: Voice of the People today!
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