Our Roof is Blue
Nuestro techo es azul

Charlesbridge Publishing, April 2023
ISBN: 9781623542337 (English), 9781623544225 (Spanish)

Ages 5 and up

2024 Florida ‘Great Reads from Great Places’ Youth Pick for Library of Congress’s National Book Festival
Florida Book Award, Bronze Medal (Young Children’s Literature)
2024 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children and Teens
New York Public Library Best Picture Books of 2023
Chicago Public Library Best Picture Books of 2023
Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year in Spanish - 2024 Ed.
Green Earth Book Award 2024 Long List

Before an intense hurricane hits their home in Puerto Rico, Antonio told his sister vibrant stories each night. During the storm, they huddled with their parents in a closet and hear the storm blow the roof right off their home. After the storm, their family uses a temporary blue tarp for a roof, and Antonio stops speaking. Gradually the siblings imagine their blue roof playfully—as the ocean above them or a parachute helping them fall from the sky. As the narrator helps her little brother feel safe once more--and after the family and community build a new roof--the little boy begins to speak again.

“Two Puerto Rican siblings find their footing after a hurricane removes their home’s roof in Echenique’s reassuring picture book debut.” - Publishers Weekly

“The story and a note from the author bring an important focus to the continued recovery of Puerto Rico after devastating hurricanes such as 2017’s Irma and Maria and the challenges that Puerto Ricans continue to face as they rebuild. . . . Healing, both physical and emotional, is eased through the power of story.“ - Kirkus Reviews

“Echenique’s story pairs with Vargas’ illustrations to create a very real, emotional, and heartwarming book. This book teaches children how to talk about their emotions and includes words that can be used to describe how they feel. Overall, it is a beautiful book that shows a family’s way of coping with adversity and overcoming a difficult situation together.” - Children’s Literature

More than six years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, more than 3,000 homes still have ‘temporary’ blue tarps in place of permanent roofs. For more information about how to help Puerto Rico, visit here.

A top 10 New York Public Library selection for best picture books in Spanish for kids of 2023

A Bank Street selection for Best Children’s Books of the Year in Spanish 2024 edition

A Chicago Public Library selection for best picture books in Spanish for kids of 2023