In the Groves

From debut author-illustrator Andrea Cruz Floren comes a whimsical Spanglish picture book about finding belonging in an unlikely place.

Clara visits her abuelo and many, many cousins in California every year. And every year, her family tells tall tales about her abuelo’s orange groves: There’s magic! There’s mischief! There’s monstruos! But Clara’s never been to the orange groves. And she’s determined to change that.

So when her cousins aren’t looking, Clara sneaks into her abuelo’s truck and makes her way to the orange groves. Once Abuelo spots her, he and Clara have a wondrous time serenading oranges, bravely defending the groves against gophers, and eating some delicious tacos with—WHEW—just a little bit of spice.

Soon, Clara has magical tall tales to tell of her own. For she’s no longer just a visitor: She belongs to the groves, and the groves belong to her.

Andrea Floren grew up in South Dakota, far from her California family. Her grandfather, who tended the orange groves, had a gift for storytelling. He encouraged Andrea to keep writing; she hopes to honor his memory with this debut book. Andrea currently lives in Colorado with her family. Visit her at quietlyfiery.com