In the pueblo of Palenque, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month — letters that she is sure contain promises of love — one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Señor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still — that letters are literally all around her . . .
Carnegie Medal for Illustration Nomination 2025
USBBY Outstanding International Book 2024
Featured in the New York Times 2023
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection 2023
The School Reading List — Best Children’s Books coming out in Autumn 2023
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Irene Vasco is an award-winning Colombian author. She has devoted much of her life to training readers in remote regions of Colombia, and in 2021, was recognised by the Colombian Ministry of Education for a lifetime of work devoted to education.
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Juan Palomino is Mexican artist and academic. Among his many awards are the fourth Iberoamerican Catalog of Illustration, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair International Illustration Award and a Golden Apple from the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava.
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Lawrence Schimel is a Spanish/English author and translator who has published over 120 books. His picture books have won a Crystal Kite Award, a White Raven, and have been chosen three times for IBBY'S Outstanding Books for Young Readers with Disabilities.
“Vasco’s words and Palomino’s dazzling illustrations, full of movement and color, create a story of blooming. Girls become women; letters become words; a pueblo becomes literate. It’s a powerful read for parents and children whose upbringings are radically different.”
- The New York Times
“Letters in Charcoal is a remarkable book. The clarity and simplicity of the story, coupled with the use of bold colours and beautiful patterns by illustrator Palomino, make this children’s book a little gem with a social conscience. A must-read.”
- The Morning Star
“Vasco’s narrative reminds readers that even in the face of lost connections, the joy of reading can light the way to a brighter future.”
- Kirkus Reviews
“The earth- and jewel-toned illustrations are digitally rendered providing a soothing and welcoming backdrop to the important message this story delivers — the power and joy of reading is meant to be experienced by ourselves and shared with others.”
- Youth Services Book Review
“Textured illustrations utilise rich colours and fine details to depict the transformative power of reading.”
- Foreword Reviews
“A quietly empowering ode to reading.”
- The Horn Book
