Home Is a Heartbeat - by Laekan Zea Kemp (Hardcover)

About the Book

In a multifamily and multigenerational home, a young girl celebrates everything that makes her house a home.

Book Synopsis

From Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Laekan Zea Kemp comes a beautiful ode to family and multigenerational homes.

Everyone has their special place in the house. Abuela cooks in the kitchen. Mami reads by the window. Tía Imelda watches telenovelas in the living room. Abuelo tinkers around in his workshop. Even family members who have come and gone have had their special place. But what makes a house a home?

With lyrical prose and warm illustrations, this love letter to multigenerational and multifamily households will have readers listening for a heartbeat in their own homes.

Review Quotes

"Lush botanical illustrations are paired with a timeless message about the importance of family.... A heartwarming story blooming with tenderness."--Kirkus

Praise for A Crown For Corina

* "A gorgeous picture book celebrating tradition, family, and memories. Highly recommended for school and public libraries."--SLJ, starred review

"Highlighting seasonal cycles and the natural passage of time, it's a lushly told story that emphasizes the role of the past in the present and future." --Publishers Weekly

"Kemp movingly uses the setting of Abuela's flower garden to encourage young readers to explore their roots and who they might want to be....A warm meditation on family, perfect for sharing with a grandparent."
--Booklist

"Kemp smoothly melds the corporeal with the intangible, lingering over the physical sensations of brushing past flowers, smelling their scent...Chavarri's use of vivid watercolors in hazy, dream-like brushstrokes adds to the wistful warmth and movement of the story."--BCCB

About the Author

Laekan Zea Kemp is the author of the picture book A Crown for Corina as well as middle grade and young adult novels, including the Pura Belpré Honor book Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet. She lives in Austin, Texas. Laekan invites you to visit her at laekanzeakemp.com or follow her on social media @LaekanZeaKemp.

Magdalena Mora is a Minneapolis-based illustrator and designer. She's illustrated numerous award-winning books including Stephen Briseño's The Notebook Keeper, Claudia Guadalupe Martínez's Still Dreaming/Seguimos Soñando, and Elana K. Arnold's The Fish of Small Wishes. Magdalena invites you to see more of her work at magdalenamora.com.