SAVING CHUPIE

A girl and her new friends are on a mission to save a chupacabra from harm.

It’s Violeta’s first time in Puerto Rico, and she is excited to help Abuelita reopen her beloved restaurant after Hurricane Maria. But none of her family members let her help, saying that she’s “only a kid once” and should go have fun. Luckily, she meets local kids Diego, whose mother is the butcher who supplied Abuelita’s restaurant, and Lorena, whose uncle is a monster hunter. Violeta is a bit socially awkward, and they become her first real friends ever. Something has been killing the animals Diego’s mother needs for her butcher shop, and the friends, convinced it’s a chupacabra, band together to find it—though Violeta is initially skeptical that they even exist. However, after a young chupacabra gets caught in a steel-jaw trap while protecting her, Violeta vows to keep Chupie, as she names him, safe from the smugglers who deal in mythical creatures. Ortiz expertly weaves Puerto Rican culture and lore into themes of familial love and friendship difficulties. When differing beliefs test the bonds between Violeta, Diego, and Lorena, readers will find nuanced, realistic treatment of their anger, frustration, and sadness. Garcia’s illustrations leap off the page with a vibrancy that evokes island life and shows the diversity of skin tones and hair textures found there. Violeta’s father reads white.

An enticing, broadly appealing blend of Puerto Rican mythology and relationship-driven adventure.