If Dominican Were a Color

“If Dominican were a color, it would be the sunset in the sky, blazing red and burning bright.
If Dominican were a color, it’d be the roar of the ocean in the deep of the night,
With the moon beaming down rays of sheer delight.“

After the first time I had habichuelas con dulce, I declared myself an honorary Dominican citizen. The funny thing is that I have never been in Dominican Republic, but that little detail hasn’t stopped me to get to know Quisqueya deeper.

I remember that back in Ecuador, DR felt so far away, but that changed after I befriend a Dominicana very passionate about her country and cultura. I feel I have traveled to that beautiful island of hers through her stories and vulnerability over and over again, and I have fell in love with it.

This is why I am so excited about “If Dominican Were a Color,” a new bilingual book written by Sili Recio and coming up in September 22. This book is like a poem of love that celebrates the joy of being Dominican.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to sneak out and read it from cover to cover. And I only found so much love in every page. From the breathtaking story to the vibrant illustrations, this book speaks to every heart, even to those that have never been to DR like mine.

This is what Sili said about the illustrations: “It is my deepest honor to share the cover art for If Dominican Were a Color. Illustrated by the incomparable Brianna McCarthy who poured my words onto the canvas and with her tools made them come to life. Thank you for honoring your calling, thank you for saying yes to this project. Thank you for painting the picture that I tried to put into words.” (Read it here)

Every child should get a copy of this book. It will teach a new culture and the responsibility to be loyal to yourself and your ancestors. It will also make you wish to visit that island of the many colors soon.

Pre-order yours HERE!