Elena Balbusso – illustratör

A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon... A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this gorgeous fantasy for 9+ readers."A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits." – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela – once an ordinary girl – now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly-awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves – tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean – and inside each of us.

Un fantasma marino, un chico mortal y un peligroso arpón encantado. . . Una autora ganadora de la Medalla Newbery nos lleva debajo de las olas en esta extraordinaria incursión en un mundo de fantasía.En los rincones más profundos del océano, Graciela—quien antes era una chica común y corriente—ahora fabrica vidrio marino y ayuda a su amiga, Amina, mientras le da la bienvenida a fantasmas recién despiertos de sus sueños de muerte. Aunque el espíritu de Graciela es joven, ha vivido en el fondo del mar por más de cien años. Mientras tanto, en el mortal mundo terrestre, Jorge Leon, de doce años, trabaja en la fragua de su familia. Ha escuchado cuentos de espíritus sobrenaturales que viven debajo de las olas del océano—cuentos que para nada aplacan su miedo al agua. Pero cuando Jorge descubre un arpón forjado a mano, con el poder de atravesar a un fantasma marino, él sabe que su deber es destruirlo a toda costa. Cuando el arpón accidentalmente vuelve a manos de su vengativo creador, a Graciela y Jorge, una improbable pareja de aliados, no le queda otra alternativa que evitar que los espíritus malignos causen estragos entre los vivos y los muertos. Si sólo la respuesta que les enseñe a salvar lo que más aprecian no se encontrara en lo más profundo del abismo. . . Meg Medina, ganadora de la Medalla Newbery, y los ilustradores Anna y Elena Balbusso, han elaborado una historia llena de magia y riesgosas aventuras que dejarán a los lectores preguntándose sobre el poder que yace en lo más profundo del mar—y dentro de cada uno de nosotros.A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon . . . A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this extraordinary foray into fantasy.In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can. When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.

Dive into the abyss with this stunning paperback, featuring printed edges that invite you into the deepest recesses of the ocean, where the sea ghosts lie."A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful owner, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a magical ocean fantasy for kids in this epic sea ghost adventure infused with Latin American folklore, which will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.

Un fantasma marino, un chico mortal y un peligroso arpón encantado. . . Una autora ganadora de la Medalla Newbery nos lleva debajo de las olas en esta extraordinaria incursión en un mundo de fantasía.En los rincones más profundos del océano, Graciela—quien antes era una chica común y corriente—ahora fabrica vidrio marino y ayuda a su amiga, Amina, mientras le da la bienvenida a fantasmas recién despiertos de sus sueños de muerte. Aunque el espíritu de Graciela es joven, ha vivido en el fondo del mar por más de cien años. Mientras tanto, en el mortal mundo terrestre, Jorge Leon, de doce años, trabaja en la fragua de su familia. Ha escuchado cuentos de espíritus sobrenaturales que viven debajo de las olas del océano—cuentos que para nada aplacan su miedo al agua. Pero cuando Jorge descubre un arpón forjado a mano, con el poder de atravesar a un fantasma marino, él sabe que su deber es destruirlo a toda costa.Cuando el arpón accidentalmente vuelve a manos de su vengativo creador, a Graciela y Jorge, una improbable pareja de aliados, no le queda otra alternativa que evitar que los espíritus malignos causen estragos entre los vivos y los muertos. Si sólo la respuesta que les enseñe a salvar lo que más aprecian no se encontrara en lo más profundo del abismo. . . Meg Medina, ganadora de la Medalla Newbery, y los ilustradores Anna y Elena Balbusso, han elaborado una historia llena de magia y riesgosas aventuras que dejarán a los lectores preguntándose sobre el poder que yace en lo más profundo del mar—y dentro de cada uno de nosotros.A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon . . . A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this extraordinary foray into fantasy.In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.

"Make the Earth your companion. Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do." With this powerfully reverent refrain, readers are reminded to treat the world around us with the respect it deserves and the care it needs. Mountains, lakes, rivers, grasslands, forests, deserts—even the sky above—all of our natural environs have some message to impart, if we will but listen. Picturesque illustrations imbue the images with mysticism, making visual connections to not only the words themselves but to the feelings of wonder they evoke.