Cantora Mercedes Sosa, la voz de Latinoamérica

Nitsche does a beautiful job of introducing Argentinian folk singer Mercedes Sosa to a young audience in this picture-book biography. It begins during Sosa's childhood, showing her as a shy girl in a poor but loving home, who found the courage to sing for others after friends persuaded her to enter a radio contest. She gained popularity in Argentina for her beautiful voice and heartfelt songs, which were taken up by many protesting the country's political turmoil and economic disparities. Eventually, Sosa underwent arrest and exile, but an exuberant homecoming returned her to the stage and the people and country she loved. Nitsche's beautiful illustrations, painted in Procreate, are similar to Devin Holzwarth's artwork in Shannon Stocker's Listen (2022), as Sosa's voice streams forth in ribbons of color and drum beats reverberate in red, concentric circles. The poetic Spanish text is written at a high reading level, and it concludes with robust back matter, including a detailed time line and a playlist of Sosa's songs. Also available in English, Cantora: Mercedes Sosa, the Voice of Latin America.