What do you think?
Rate this book
Vicki and a Summer of Change! Coloring Book / ¡Vicki y un Verano de Cambio! Libro de Colorear
Inspired by actual events, Vicki and A Summer of Change! ¡Vicki y un verano de cambio! the story recounts what happened in East Harlem, New York in 1969. Members of the activist Young Lords Organization united with residents to make positive neighborhood changes. The story follows Vicki Alegría Rodríguez and her older sister, Valentina, who live in East Harlem. Rotting garbage overwhelms the streets because city sanitation trucks rarely pick up the trash. Determined to change the situation, the Young Lords start sweeping the streets. Neighbors eagerly jump in with brooms, and Vicki enthusiastically joins them. “You’re never too young to make a difference!” her sister says. Together they discover they can help change their community and the world. This beautifully illustrated English/Spanish book is for children 5 to 8 years old.
27 pages, Paperback
Published December 5, 2020
7 people want to read
About the author
Raquel M. Ortiz
7 books2 followersDr. Raquel M. Ortiz is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, a social anthropologist, educator, storyteller, playwright, performer, poet, composer, editor, illustrator, and author of children's books and songs.
In 2025, Dr. Ortiz children's book, When Julia Danced Bomba / Cuando Julia bailaba bomba inspired the award winning short film, Julia's Dance: A Bomba Flamenco Bedtime Tale by TallyTwo Pictures. In 2022, Dr. Ortiz, a Cleveland Foundation Artist Fellow, released an album of Afro-Puerto Rican bomba songs for children, Que vengan los niños, created in collaboration with Grammy-nominated Latin Jazz legend, composer, and educator, William Cepeda. The songs in the Que vengan los niños are sung in Spanish, English, and some are bilingual.
Dr. Ortiz’s bilingual stories about Afro-Caribbean and Latinx culture invite children and adults to join in on adventures, featuring children as the protagonists so that they see and celebrate their creativity and valor. She has published Vicki and a Summer of Change! / ¡Vicki y un verano de cambio! (2020) via Red Sugarcane Press). Via Arte Publico Press, Dr. Ortiz has published four titles: Sofi Paints her Dreams / Sofi pinta sus sueños (2019), Broken Butterfly Wings / Alas de mariposa rotas (2021), When Julia Danced Bomba / Cuando Julia bailaba bomba (2019), and Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural / Sofi y el magico mural musical (2015). Dr. Ortiz also published Planting Flags on Division Street / Plantando banderas en la calle Division (2015) via Bambazo De Colores.
Dr. Ortiz’s bilingual multimedia storytelling using music, puppetry, and video led to a collaboration with Cleveland Public Library’s Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural musical performance in 2018 and the Cleveland Play House play, !A las nubes! (2022) inspired by Broken Butterfly Wings/Alas de mariposa rotas. Dr. Ortiz’s script and a song for Cucarachita Martina’s Musical Adventure, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and earned her a 2021 Emmy nomination.
Dr. Ortiz has a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Salamanca and a Masters in Puerto Rican studies from the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe. She is currently working on a novel for middle schoolers that explores folktales and Taíno mythology.
In 2025, Dr. Ortiz children's book, When Julia Danced Bomba / Cuando Julia bailaba bomba inspired the award winning short film, Julia's Dance: A Bomba Flamenco Bedtime Tale by TallyTwo Pictures. In 2022, Dr. Ortiz, a Cleveland Foundation Artist Fellow, released an album of Afro-Puerto Rican bomba songs for children, Que vengan los niños, created in collaboration with Grammy-nominated Latin Jazz legend, composer, and educator, William Cepeda. The songs in the Que vengan los niños are sung in Spanish, English, and some are bilingual.
Dr. Ortiz’s bilingual stories about Afro-Caribbean and Latinx culture invite children and adults to join in on adventures, featuring children as the protagonists so that they see and celebrate their creativity and valor. She has published Vicki and a Summer of Change! / ¡Vicki y un verano de cambio! (2020) via Red Sugarcane Press). Via Arte Publico Press, Dr. Ortiz has published four titles: Sofi Paints her Dreams / Sofi pinta sus sueños (2019), Broken Butterfly Wings / Alas de mariposa rotas (2021), When Julia Danced Bomba / Cuando Julia bailaba bomba (2019), and Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural / Sofi y el magico mural musical (2015). Dr. Ortiz also published Planting Flags on Division Street / Plantando banderas en la calle Division (2015) via Bambazo De Colores.
Dr. Ortiz’s bilingual multimedia storytelling using music, puppetry, and video led to a collaboration with Cleveland Public Library’s Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural musical performance in 2018 and the Cleveland Play House play, !A las nubes! (2022) inspired by Broken Butterfly Wings/Alas de mariposa rotas. Dr. Ortiz’s script and a song for Cucarachita Martina’s Musical Adventure, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and earned her a 2021 Emmy nomination.
Dr. Ortiz has a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Salamanca and a Masters in Puerto Rican studies from the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe. She is currently working on a novel for middle schoolers that explores folktales and Taíno mythology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 7, 2021
From the authors: "Vicki and a Summer of Change! reflects our desire to offer children's books that accurately and caringly depict Latinx and BIPOC experiences and heritage. This story is inspired by actual events in New York City in 1969 when Puerto Rican activists joined by Latinx and African Americans formed the Young Lords Organization in East Harlem. The unite with residents in a campaign for clean streets - the first of many they pursued." With bilingual text and a comic book style, this book would be a great book for 3-4th graders.
I found this book on the shelves of the Cleveland Children's Museum in August of 2021.
I found this book on the shelves of the Cleveland Children's Museum in August of 2021.
May 28, 2021
The back of my copy reads:
A story inspired by actual events in East Harlem, New York in 1969 when residents unite to make neighborhood changes.
Vicki joins them. "You're never too young to make a difference!" her sister says.
They discover they can help change the world.
I received this book as a thank you for attending an online meeting about some of the programs available at the library in the city. This book is a children's book (maybe ages 5 and up?). It resembles a magazine and is written in both English and Spanish which is great for bilingual and Spanish and English language learners. As the description states, it is based on actual events, and is written to include only empowering aspects of these events. It is colorful and well illustrated, and is designed to depict Latinx and BIPOC (black, indigenous, + people of color) positively.
It's different from other children's books that I have read, and is worth taking a look at.
A story inspired by actual events in East Harlem, New York in 1969 when residents unite to make neighborhood changes.
Vicki joins them. "You're never too young to make a difference!" her sister says.
They discover they can help change the world.
I received this book as a thank you for attending an online meeting about some of the programs available at the library in the city. This book is a children's book (maybe ages 5 and up?). It resembles a magazine and is written in both English and Spanish which is great for bilingual and Spanish and English language learners. As the description states, it is based on actual events, and is written to include only empowering aspects of these events. It is colorful and well illustrated, and is designed to depict Latinx and BIPOC (black, indigenous, + people of color) positively.
It's different from other children's books that I have read, and is worth taking a look at.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews