For many children, seeing themselves reflected in books doesn’t happen often enough. That’s why author, illustrator, and toy designer Yesenia Moises has made it her mission to change that. With her latest project, Sounds Like Joy, she continues to ensure that children who share the Afro Latino experience can see themselves proudly represented on the page.

“When I write stories, I aim to create characters and narratives that honor both sides of my heritage,” the Afro Latina author, illustrator and toy designer told Ebony in a recent interview.

Yesenia’s first picture book was Stella’s Stellar Hair, which follows the story of a young girl who goes across the solar system to get help with her hair from her nine fabulous space aunties.

“When I created my cast of beautiful black characters, I made sure that everyone’s names were such that it’d be easy to envision them as Black and Latina, in case my publisher ever put out a translation.”

Although Stella’s Stellar Hair was never translated, Moises made sure her newest release, Sounds Like Joy, arrived with a Spanish edition alongside the English version. “It’s titled Suena a Allegría, and it was simultaneously published with the English edition in May this year,” she told the outlet. “Seeing both language editions in people’s homes since launch has been both heartwarming and humbling.”

Yesenia took timeout of her busy schedule to take a further look inside of the pages of her latest project, just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, with Ebony. The multi-talented author explains why Afro Latino culture is essential to both the Latino and African world.

EBONY: How did you discover your talent for drawing and design?

Yesenia Moises: I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, so it’s hard to say whether or not there was a specific point in time where I discovered my passion for drawing. My parents came to the U.S. in search of a better life, and when they were able to settle down and start a family, the news cycle raised some pretty big concerns around safety. There were so many things that they’d never seen or experienced back in their home country, and as a result, I grew up living a sheltered life. Being a homebody meant that I spent a lot of my free time watching cartoons, playing video games and reading books. Art became my way of engaging with the world in a meaningful way and fostering connection with my peers.

EBONY: What inspired your designs for your latest book, Sounds Like Joy?

Yesenia Moises: Sounds Like Joy is an underwater musical adventure that celebrates the magic of music and its power to unite us all. It’s a story that’s meant to be a fun read-aloud experience for the whole family and help children see the world around them in a new, joy-filled light. It was inspired by an artwork that I’d posted online a few years ago, featuring a Black mermaid sitting serenely on some coral. The number one thing that I noticed in the comments and shares for the piece was that people were expressing to me that it brought them joy. I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of people online, and I wanted to create a story that embodied that feeling and thanked them for uplifting my work.

EBONY: Why is it important to celebrate Afro Latino voices?

Yesenia Moises: Afro-Latinos are like cultural unicorns, caught in the intersection of people’s perceptions. Growing up, I spent my evenings watching telenovelas and shows like Sabado Gigante with my family, and something that always struck me was how there were rarely people who looked like me on TV. On the off chance that I did see an Afro-Latiné, they were relegated to portraying the roles of villains or servants, and it felt like such a disconnect for me, especially since it implied that in public-facing spaces, we needed to either be hidden or othered. It’s important to celebrate Afro-Latino voices during Hispanic Heritage Month because Latino doesn’t have a singular look. It isn’t a singular experience, and I believe that when we celebrate Afro-Latino voices, we’re uplifting experiences that shatter misconceptions and introduce new perspectives on what it means to be Latino.

Sounds Like Joy is now available for purchase. 

Photo: Yesenia Moises Instagram