• Age: 4 to 7
• Grade: p to 2

The award-winning author of Abuelita and Me explores the power of language in this energetic, imaginative picture book that takes readers on a wild word chase.

When Ali’s cousin rips his favorite book, angry words explode out of him. The words are so angry, they come to life! They tease Ama, wreak havoc on their abuelita’s home, and crash through the neighborhood. Ali didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but now that the words are on the loose, it’s up to him to catch them—and to repair the damage they’ve done.

Acclaimed illustrator Erika Medina brings Ali’s word monsters to life in this fun and fast-paced exploration of anger, accountability, and resolving conflict.

Leonarda Carranza was born in El Salvador to a family of Indigenous and African ancestry. She holds a PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. Her children's book, Abuelita and Me, will be published by Annick Press in winter 2022. Her essays have been published in Room, The New Quarterly, Briarpatch, Humber Literary Review, and Best Canadian Essays. She is the winner of Briarpatch Magazine's seventh annual Writing in the Margins contest, was shortlisted for PRISM International's short forms contest, and was the winner of Room's 2018 short forms contest for her piece, "White Spaces Brown Bodies." She lives in Brampton

Leonarda Carranza's profile page

ERIKA MEDINA is a Mexican illustrator and book publicist living and working in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is interested in storytelling, myths and legends, and scary stories. Erika is the illustrator of several picture books, including Margot and the Moon Landing, 48 Grasshopper Estates, and Adela's Mariachi Band (August 2024).

Erika Medina's profile page