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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Cousins in the Time of Magic
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://emmaotheguy.com/
CITY: New York
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 405
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Graduated from Swarthmore College; New York University, Ph.D. (history).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. Has worked as a bookseller and elementary-school Spanish teacher.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
AWARDS:Fellowships and grants from the Mellon Foundation, American Historical Association, Council of Library and Information Resources, and Humanities New York; Magazine Merit Honor, SCBWI, 2014, for “Fairies in Town”; Children’s and Young Adult Book Award in Intermediate Nonfiction, International Literacy Association, 2018, for Martí’s Song for Freedom; silver medal, International Latino Book Award, for Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene; Cybils Award, for Reina Ramos Works It Out.
WRITINGS
Also contributor to Ethics and Children’s Literature, edited by Claudia Mills, Ashgate Publishing (Burlington, VT), 2014.
The “Reina Ramos” series is available in Spanish, with translations by Isabel Mendoza.
SIDELIGHTS
Cuban American author Emma Otheguy writes books for children that feature themes of Latin American identity, coming of age, and Latin American history. Her picture book biographies include the award-winning bilingual title Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad and Pope Francis: Builder of Bridges. She turned to fiction with her 2020 picture book A Sled for Gabo, a story featuring a Latino family. Otheguy also centers Latino characters in her middle-grade novels, such as Silver Meadows Summer and Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene. She has additionally written the books of the “Reina Ramos” series of early readers.
[open new]Otheguy was born to parents who immigrated to the United States from Cuba as exiles. She told From the Mixed-Up Files: “They talked a lot about their culture and about their understanding of the events that precipitated them coming to the United States. I think that being a child of immigrants always comes with a story.” Thus did Otheguy find that she “was always interested in history,” and she read widely during her youth. She was raised in the greater New York City area and enjoyed occasional trips with friends to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During visits to her grandmother’s house in Miami, she loved playing and running around with cousins. Attending Swarthmore College, Otheguy took several courses with children’s author Donna Jo Napoli, but she intended to be a history professor and so pursued a doctorate at New York University. Learning the full extent of interconnections between U.S. and Latin American history, Otheguy realized the importance of helping American readers learn about relations with neighbors to the south. While she “felt that it was affirming and meaningful” to learn her people’s history, as she told From the Mixed-Up Files, she also “really missed doing something that was creative and something that had a public focus.” Her first children’s book efforts were fantasies, but delving into Cuban history and the life of poet and freedom fighter Jose Martí brought about her debut picture book.[suspend new]
In an interview on Latinxs in Kid Lit, Otheguy offered advice to young Latino readers: “Figure out what being a Latino means to you and embrace that. Society is always telling children who they should be, and I think that Latinos often experience that pressure times two—the pressure to fit in with peers, and the pressure to be a certain ideal type of Latino. But the reality is that Latinidad is something we each carry inside of us, an identity that encompasses as many types as there are individuals.”
Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad includes Spanish translation by Adriana Domínguez alongside the English text. The narrative exhibits Martí’s devotion to Cuba, starting with his admiration for Cuban rebels who fought for independence and the emancipation of slaves. After Martí published writings praising the rebel cause, he was exiled and fled to New York. Though Martí longed for his homeland, he found solace in a trip to the Catskills, which reminded him of Cuba. Otheguy includes excerpts of Martí’s poetry alongside illustrations by Beatriz Vidal to add to the telling of his life story. “This book spotlights a steadfast hero and brilliant writer still worth admiring today,” remarked a Kirkus Reviews critic. Nancy Lorraine, reviewing Martí’s Song for Freedom in MBR Bookwatch, deemed the bilingual picture book “a beautiful commemoration of a great poet, thinker, and humanist who is honored in all the Americas.” Referring to the text’s dual languages in an interview on Read. Learn. Repeat, Otheguy stated: “The bilingual book format reflects my own family back to me: some of us speak English, some of us speak Spanish, some of us speak a mix of both, but we are all one family, just like the languages of this book are between the same two boards. It’s not like our language identities are separate from one another. I hope that many other Latino readers will feel similarly.”
Pope Francis is the subject of Otheguy’s next picture book biography, Pope Francis, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez. Born Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the boy who would become pope received moral instruction from his grandma Rosa at a young age. His call to help others lead him to become a Jesuit priest as an adult, and ultimately the first pope from South America. Alongside the life story of Pope Francis, Otheguy provides broader historical context about Catholicism and the process of electing a new pope. Reviewing Pope Francis in Kirkus Reviews, a writer described it as “an uplifting and solidly researched book about a significant world leader.” Booklist critic Ilene Cooper felt that “this picture book does a good job of introducing” Pope Francis to young readers.
Otheguy turns to fiction in the picture book A Sled for Gabo. Gabo wakes up on a snowy winter morning longing to sled outside and make a friend. Unfortunately, he lacks the proper equipment, including an appropriately sized hat, wool socks, waterproof shoes, and a sled itself. His mom and dad aim to correct this by providing Gabo with dad’s hat, extra socks, and plastic bags to make his shoes waterproof. Despite his lack of sled and shy demeanor, Gabo sets out into the snow and makes an imaginative friend who helps him craft a sled out of a cafeteria tray. A Kirkus Reviews critic appreciated the “sweet story” about a Latino family which incorporates Spanish words throughout the text. “A charming winter story about friendship and making do with love,” concluded the critic. Critic Stephanie Cohen, writing in Booklist also appreciated Otheguy’s incorporation of Spanish, and predicted that “this Spanish-infused picture book … will warm up any winter day.”
Otheguy’s first book for a middle-grade audience, Silver Meadows Summer, features preteen Carolina, who moves from Puerto Rico to New York state after a series of family hardships. She misses all aspects of her Puerto Rican home and her art lessons. At the suggestion of her aunt and uncle, Carolina and her younger brother, Dani, attend Silver Meadows day camp with their cousin Gabriela. There she meets Jennifer, a fellow artist, and the two form a friendship. Carolina attempts to carve her own identity in the midst of upheaval in this coming-of-age story, which a Kirkus Reviews critic considered “a warm depiction of family and of standing up for what you believe in.” “Anyone who has experienced displacement or is a child of immigrants should easily relate to … Otheguy’s novel,” predicted Booklist critic Kristina Pino.
In Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, Sofía and her siblings followed in their professional dancer parents’ footsteps. However, young Sofía has decided that she no longer wishes to dance. She learns to advocate for herself and carve out her own identity. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that “readers will root for Sofía as she learns to use her voice.” The same reviewer found the book to be “bighearted, nuanced, and insightful.” Booklist contributor Carolyn Phelan described it as being “a lively middle-grade novel underscoring the value of honest communication with family and friends.”
Reina Ramos Works It Out, the first in a series of early readers, finds second grader Reina upset that her friend Nora chooses Mexican painter Frida Kahlo for her school’s living wax museum exhibit, as she wanted to dress as Kahlo. After a talk with Nora, Reina understands and they remain friends. Her abuela helps her choose another famous Latina artist to dress as. Booklist contributor Rosie Camargo commented that the book has a “relatable story for emergent readers that features simple text, a sprinkling of Spanish vocabulary, and sweet illustrations.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a sparkling tale starring a resilient young protagonist.”
In Reina Ramos Meets a Big Puppy, Reina is excited to hear that her friend, Lila, will be getting a puppy. Her expectations are not met, though, when she sees that Lila’s dog, Chico, is bigger than she imagined. Eventually Reina tells Lila that Chico’s size scares her. They talk and work things out. Writing in School Library Journal, Elizabeth Lovsin said that the book is “recommended for first purchase,” adding that “broad appeal and an engaging emotional journey make this an excellent addition to any early reader collection.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “a sweet friendship story that reassures kids that it’s OK to be scared.”
Otheguy’s picture book Martina Has Too Many Tías is a retelling of the folktale “La Cucaracha Martina.” Young Martina is annoyed that her house is full of aunts. She tries desperately to find some peace and quiet while they are there. Booklist contributor Amy Ravelo remarked that “Martina’s conundrum is relatable for anyone seeking a peaceful haven amid a world of sensory overload.”
[resume new]Cousins have trouble seeing eye to eye in Reina Ramos: Tour Guide, the next title in the early reader series. When older cousin Andrés visits Reina’s city, their Abuela enjoys hearing news from their shared island home, and friend Carlos, having once visited there, also connects with Andrés. But Reina has never been to the island—unnamed, but understood to be Cuba from mention of singer Celia Cruz. Feeling excluded, Reina starts getting grumpy while showing Andrés around, until a snappy comment helps Andrés realize that they can both help each other learn about new places. A Kirkus Reviews writer proclaimed that “problem-solving is on display in this delightful story,” which “skillfully portrays respectful conflict resolution, perspective-taking, and flexibility.”
Otheguy’s inspiration to write her next middle-grade novel came partly from her mother, who had long urged her to draw on her PhD in her works for youths. Meanwhile, her agent suggested she might write something in the style of the “Magic Treehouse” series but focused on events in Latino history. In researching for Cousins in the Time of Magic, Otheguy traveled to Puebla, Mexico, stayed with family, and visited the forts marking the site of the Battle of Puebla, which is commemorated through the holiday Cinco de Mayo. She also toured Civil War monuments and battlefields in Virginia and read a plethora of sources, as cited in a bibliography.
Cousins in the Time of Magic stars three cousins from Miami: Camila, an avid reader; Jorge, who loves adventure; and Siggy, an aspiring influencer. Climbing on the garage roof, Jorge senses intrigue when he spies their shared aunt, Tía Xía, with a diamond-encrusted sword. Upon stumbling through a portal in the yard, the children are magically transported to Virginia in 1862. With the faraway Battle of Puebla looming, the children must bring the sword to General Ignacio Zaragoza before the fifth of May. Along the way, they meet a Cuban American drummer boy in the Union Army; an enslaved boy whose father was sold and shipped off to Cuba; and a Nahuatl-speaking Indigenous girl helping the Mexican Army against the French. The outcome of the U.S. Civil War depends on the success of the children’s quest.
A Kirkus Reviews writer proclaimed that this novel’s “original plot, historical setting, and fantasy elements are compelling,” while the themes of “understanding your heritage and taking pride in who you are will resonate with Latine readers.” In the New York Times Book Review, Juan Vidal praised Cousins in the Time of Magic as “deeply original, action-packed and brimming with historical richness and wit. It is particularly satisfying to see how her characters change and grow on their journey, ultimately gaining a better understanding of their culture and its influence on the United States at large.” Vidal added that Otheguy “does a wonderful job of infusing the complexity of identity into the narrative while maintaining a welcome playfulness,” making for an “enchanting book.”[close new]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 15, 2018, Ilene Cooper, review of Pope Francis: Builder of Bridges, p. 48; January 1, 2021, Stephanie Cohen, review of A Sled for Gabo, p. 82; February 1, 2019, Kristina Pino, review of Silver Meadows Summer, p. 73; January 1, 2022, Carolyn Phelan, review of Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, p. 75; September 1, 2022, Rosie Camargo, review of Reina Ramos Works It Out, p. 83; June 1, 2023, Amy Ravelo, review of Martina Has Too Many Tías, p. 90.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2017, review of Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad; August 15, 2018, review of Pope Francis; February 1, 2019, review of Silver Meadows Summer; October 15, 2020, review of A Sled for Gabo; December 1, 2021, review of Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene; September 15, 2022, review of Reina Ramos Works It Out; April 1, 2023, review of Reina Ramos Meets a Big Puppy; March 1, 2024, review of Reina Ramos: Tour Guide; December 15, 2024, review of Cousins in the Time of Magic.
MBR Bookwatch, September 1, 2017, Nancy Lorraine, review of Martí’s Song for Freedom.
New York Times Book Review, January 26, 2025, Juan Vidal, review of Cousins in the Time of Magic, p. 18.
School Library Journal, May 1, 2023, Elizabeth Lovsin, review of Reina Ramos Meets a Big Puppy, p. 76.
ONLINE
Aevitas Creative Management website, https://www.aevitascreative.com/ (September 20, 2023), author profile.
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (February 24, 2025), author Q&A.
Emma Otheguy website, https://emmaotheguy.com (December 15, 2025).
Full Circle Literary website, https://www.fullcircleliterary.com/ (September 23, 2022), author profile.
From the Mixed-Up Files, https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/ (February 21, 2025), Jen Kraar, “Author Interview with Emma Otheguy.”
Highlights Foundation website, https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/ (September 8, 2021), author profile.
Latinxs in Kid Lit, https://latinxsinkidlit.com/ (April 29, 2019), Cindy L. Rodriguez, author interview.
Read. Learn. Repeat, https://readlearnrepeat.blog/ (April 27, 2018), Margaret Langan, author interview.
School Library Journal, https://blogs.slj.com/ (July 1, 2021), Elizabeth Bird, author interview; (March 1, 2022), Michele Shaw, author interview.
YA Books Central, https://www.yabookscentral.com/ (January 28, 2022), Beth Edwards, “Author Chat with Emma Otheguy (Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene)”; (September 23, 2022), Cherokee Crum, “Author Chat with Emma Otheguy (Reina Ramos Works It Out)”; (February 24, 2025), Cherokee Crum, “Author Chat with Emma Otheguy (Cousins in the Time of Magic).”
Emma Otheguy is the author of several books for children, including the picture books A Sled for Gabo and Martina Has Too Many Tías, the bilingual picture book Martí’s Song for Freedom, and the middle-grade novels Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene and Silver Meadows Summer.
Martí’s Song for Freedom (Lee & Low, 2017) received five starred reviews, was named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and the New York Public Library, and was the recipient of the International Literacy Association’s 2018 Children’s and Young Adult Book Award in Intermediate Nonfiction.
Otheguy’s fiction picture books, A Sled for Gabo (Atheneum, 2021) and Martina Has Too Many Tías (Atheneum, 2023) were published simultaneously in English and Spanish. A Sled for Gabo is a classic snow day story with a Latin twist, and Martina Has Too Many Tías is a fresh retelling of the beloved folktale “La Cucaracha Martina.” Martina Has Too Many Tías received a starred review from Kirkus.
Silver Meadows Summer (Knopf, 2019) Otheguy’s first middle-grade novel, was called “a magnificent contribution to the diversity of the new American literature for young readers” by Pura Belpré-winning author Ruth Behar. Otheguy’s latest novel, Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene (Knopf, 2022) was an International Latino Book Award silver medal winner. Kirkus Reviews called the book “Bighearted, nuanced, and insightful.”
In Reina Ramos, Otheguy’s Level 2 I Can Read series, 2nd grader Reina Ramos is a loyal friend whose high-spirited antics sometimes cause chaos, but who always finds a way to make things right. The first book in the series, Reina Ramos Works It Out! received a starred review from Kirkus, was named a Best Book of the Year by the Chicago Public Library and the Cooperative Center for Children’s Books, and received a Cybils Award. The second book, Reina Ramos Meets a BIG Puppy, was published in May of 2023, with more books planned each year. The series is available in Spanish, with translations by Isabel Mendoza.
Otheguy co-authored, with Newbery Honor-winning author Adam Gidwitz, The Unicorn Rescue Society: The Madre de Aguas of Cuba (Dutton 2020) a magical adventure set in contemporary Cuba. She contributed an original adventure, Secrets of the Silver Lion (HMH 2020), to the Carmen Sandiego universe. This Carmen Sandiego novel takes kids on a globe-trotting caper through a museum in Washington Heights, New York, a historical archive in Sevilla, Spain, and the silver mines of Potosí, Bolivia.
Otheguy holds a Ph.D. in History from New York University, where she focused on colonial Latin America and held fellowships and grants from the Mellon Foundation, the American Historical Association, the Council of Library and Information Resources, and Humanities New York. Otheguy’s books emphasize the deep connections between Latin America and the United States and aim to share these stories of bridges and convergences with everyday kids. Before becoming a writer and historian, Otheguy graduated from Swarthmore College, sold books at an independent bookstore, and taught elementary-school Spanish.
EMMA OTHEGUY is the author of the bilingual picture book MARTÍ'S SONG FOR FREEDOM/MARTÍ Y SUS VERSOS POR LA LIBERTAD (Lee & Low, 2017) about Cuban poet and national hero José Martí, as well as the forthcoming POPE FRANCIS: BUILDER OF BRIDGES (Bloomsbury, 2018) and SILVER MEADOWS SUMMER (Knopf, 2019). MARTÍ'S SONG FOR FREEDOM received starred reviews, from School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. MARTÍ was also named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, the New York Public Library, and the Bank Street Center for Children's Literature. Otheguy’s short story for children “Fairies in Town” was awarded Magazine Merit Honors by SCBWI, and her scholarly article “Sermonizing in New York: The Children’s Magazines of Mary Mapes Dodge and José Martí” appeared in ETHICS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE (Ashgate, 2014).
Emma attended Swarthmore College, where she studied children’s literature with Donna Jo Napoli and graduated with Honors. Later, she worked in farm-based education, at a children’s bookstore, and as an elementary-school Spanish teacher. She is now a Ph.D. Candidate in History at New York University, focusing on Spain and colonial Latin America. Emma has held fellowships and grants from the American Historical Association, the Council of Library and Information Resources, and Humanities New York. Emma lives in New York City, where she was born.
Monday, February 24, 2025
Q&A with Emma Otheguy
Emma Otheguy is the author of the new middle grade novel Cousins in the Time of Magic. Her other books include The Unicorn Rescue Society: The Madres de Aguas of Cuba.
Q: What inspired you to write Cousins in the Time of Magic, and how did you create your cast of characters?
A: Cousins in the Time of Magic brings together my passion for children’s books, particularly my love of magical middle-grade capers, with my expertise in history (I have a Ph.D. from New York University).
I want my book to capture kids’ hearts with cousin dynamics, the mystery and magic of time travel, and the action-packed adventure the cousins face as they try to return to their own time.
I also hope it will give them a vital education in the history of the United States and its inextricable relationship with Latin America and its people. Latinos played an essential role in the story of the United States, and knowing that history is empowering and liberating.
This is history that every child needs to know, and Cousins in the Time of Magic is the perfect way to learn.
Q: Why did you choose 1862 as the time period your characters visited?
A: The 1860s were a critical moment for republics in the Americas. The United States was in the midst of the Civil War. French emperor Napoleon III sent troops to Mexico in a recolonization attempt. The Confederacy, which was hoping for recognition from France and an ally at their southern border, was thrilled.
But Mexico defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla (Cinco de Mayo), sending a message to the world that freedom and democracy can prevail, even in the face of very serious challenges.
I chose 1862 because I wanted kids to see that freedom in the United States and Latin America are interdependent. This was also the moment when the term “Latino” was emerging as a term to describe the people of many different national, racial, linguistic, and religious backgrounds who trace their roots to Latin America.
In the book, readers get to see kids from the 1860s grappling with the word and their own relationships to this group.
Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: Cousins in the Time of Magic was extensively researched. By far the most exciting part of the process was visiting Puebla, Mexico. I was lucky to travel to Mexico, stay with family there, and visit the forts where the Battle of Puebla (what we now call Cinco de Mayo) took place.
I also spent some time in local bookstores buying books about Cinco de Mayo that I couldn’t find in the United States.
Another trip was to Richmond, Virginia, where I visited the American Civil War Museum, then drove up and down the peninsula from Richmond to Fort Monroe visiting historic sites. I got to hike through the fields and forests that my protagonists explore!
But the most important part of my research was reading. Cousins in the Time of Magic includes a four-page bibliography as well as a selected reading list for kids.
I tried to read everything that has been written relatively recently for children about the U.S. Civil War (lots) and Cinco de Mayo (very little), and while it would be all but impossible to read everything written for adults on those topics, I did read extensively, in English and Spanish, including many travel narratives and other eyewitness accounts of the time.
Q: The writer James Ponti called the book a “heartfelt adventure that’s filled with hope, history, and the importance of family.” What do you think of that description?
A: I am truly honored! I love James Ponti’s books, as do all my nieces and nephews, and he was kind enough to offer writing advice when I was early in the process.
I really do intend for Cousins in the Time of Magic to offer kids hope–the hope that comes from knowing the history of our nation’s struggles for freedom, and the love and solidarity that comes from family on a magical adventure.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on the next Cousins time travel adventure–this time to the year 1930.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I’m always happy to hear from readers and fellow writers. Subscribe to my newsletter and stay in touch!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
Author Chat with Emma Otheguy (Cousins in the Time of Magic), Plus Giveaway~ US ONLY!
February 24, 2025No Comments
Written by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer
Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Interviews, News & Updates
Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Emma Otheguy!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Emma Otheguy
Emma Otheguy is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture books A Sled for Gabo and Martina Has Too Many Tías, the bilingual picture book Martí’s Song for Freedom, and the middle grade novels Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, Cousins in the Time of Magic, Silver Meadows Summer, and, with Adam Gidwitz, The Madre de Aguas of Cuba, part of the Unicorn Rescue Society series. Visit her at EmmaOtheguy.com.
Website * Instagram
About the Book: Cousins in the Time of Magic
Three cousins get transported back to 1862 to play an important role in the Battle of Puebla, the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today, in this enchanting middle grade fantasy adventure.
History is alive with magic. That’s what zany Tía Xia is always telling cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy. Daredevil Jorge couldn’t be more different than his cousins: Camila is a dreamer who adores animals and Siggy is an aspiring influencer who has an exclusive party to attend. And their aunt has many secrets, including a mysterious diamond-encrusted sword that Jorge definitely wasn’t supposed to see.
But when the three stumble upon a time portal in their aunt’s yard, they are transported back to 1862, a past filled with wonders—and dangers. To return to the present, they must race to deliver the sword to General Ignacio Zaragoza in time for the historic Battle of Puebla in Mexico: the foundation of the holiday Cinco de Mayo.
As their journey to Mexico takes them through the Civil War–era United States, the cousins see just how much US history has been shaped by Latin communities. They must find the power within themselves to make sure things happen as they’re supposed to, without altering the past.
Purchase
~Author Chat~
Who gave you the inspiration to write Cousins in the Time of Magic?
My mother and my agent! My mother was always nagging me to write something that used my academic background (I have a Ph.D. in History), and my agent suggested not long after we started working together that I write a time-travel adventure, something like The Magic Treehouse for Latinos in U.S. history. It took many years and many iterations before I had a concept that was solid enough to share with editors, but the original idea was always there.
Who is your favorite character in Cousins in the Time of Magic?
I really love each of the three cousins, but if I had to choose just one, I would tell you about Siggy. The oldest of the three cousins, he’s an inspiring influencer, loves fashion, and is effortlessly charming and gregarious. He reminds me of some of my real cousins who I really admire, though I have never been able to emulate their social graces.
What scene in Cousins in the Time of Magic are you most proud of, and why?
The scene when the cousins highjack a hydrogen balloon to fly from Mexico to Virginia. It’s exciting, it defines the historical themes and stakes of the book, and I actually teared up a bit when I re-read it in galleys.
What research did you to do to write Cousins in the Time of Magic?
The book has a very extensive bibliography. I read everything I could get my hands on for children or adults related to its topics. I read extensively about the U.S. Civil War and visited the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, then traveled all the way down and back the Virginia peninsula visiting monuments, battlefields, and historic houses related to the Peninsula Campaign of 1862. I also traveled to Puebla, Mexico, where the Battle of Puebla (what we now call Cinco de Mayo) took place, also in 1862, and read many, many books about Cinco de Mayo. I Zoomed with academic experts in both fields (the U.S. Civil War and Cinco de Mayo) and was lucky enough that some of them agreed to read the manuscript and give their expert opinions.
How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
As an author who regularly does school visits, I get to be with my readers all the time—a privilege I don’t take lightly! I talk to kids in lots of different parts of the country and different types of schools, and I pay close attention to what captures their interests. I also read a ton of middle-grade books!
What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
I just finished What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama. I think any book lover would enjoy it, and it features children’s books!
What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from Cousins in the Time of Magic?
The histories of the United States and Latin America are inseparably connected. The fate of our republic is directly related to the fate of republics south of our border. Latinos have played a central role in the history of this country and been agents of freedom and democracy.
What can readers expect to find in your book?
They’ll find time travel, magic, adventure, and the real history of Cinco de Mayo and Latinos in the U.S. Civil War, all in an illustrated, fast-paced read for kids ages 8-12.
Title: Cousins in the Time of Magic
Author: Emma Otheguy
Illustrator: Poly Bernatene
ISBN-13: 9781665915182
ISBN-10: 1665915188
On-sale date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Ages: 8-12
Grades: 3-7
Author Interview with Emma Otheguy
When I had the pleasure of meeting Emma Otheguy, I got a taste of her passion for introducing history to young readers. In addition to writing early readers and picture books, she is the author of middle grade novels, Silver Meadows (Knopf, 2019) and Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene (Knopf, 2022). I am excited to share our recent discussion featuring the launch, both in English and in Spanish, of her upcoming book, Cousins in the Time of Magic. (February 25, 2025). In this time travel adventure, three cousins get transported to 1862 to play an important role in the Battle of Puebla, the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today.
Interview with Emily
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Jen: Cousins in the Time of Magic comes out in THREE DAYS! Can you tell me about how you came to write for young people?
Emma: I was always interested in children’s books. I read a lot as a child. I also took multiple courses with the children’s author Donna Jo Napoli when I was an undergraduate. I thought I was going to be a history professor and went to graduate school to get a doctorate. One of the things that was really exciting about being in graduate school is that I started to learn a lot about Latin American history, which as we all know is not well represented in our school curriculums here in the United States. That’s really concerning because Latin America is our nearest neighbor, a quarter of the people in the United States are Latinos, and a high concentration among them are young people. I think there’s a real need for everybody to learn this history. I felt that it was affirming and meaningful to learn the history of my own people. I really missed doing something that was creative and something that had a public focus. When I first started writing, I wrote straight fantasies for children, things that had nothing at all to do with what I was studying. I also wrote my first published book Marti’s Song for Freedom, which does have a colonial Latin America theme. It was partially an escape, and partially a way to make public all of the amazing things I was learning.
Jen: When did the history bug bite you?
Emma: I was always interested in history. My parents came to the United States as exiles from Cuba. They talked a lot about their culture and about their understanding of the events that precipitated them coming to the United States. I think that being a child of immigrants always comes with a story. This interest in the stories of the past naturally led me to an interest in history. I also had really incredible teachers in high school A handful of teachers at my school went above and beyond on a level that is incredibly rare. Now as a parent, I read to my children and I see stories as a vessel for what we want to tell our children, whether it’s an immigration story or another type of story.
Jen: What are some of the ways that you bring history alive for your readers?
Emma: The key to Cousins in the Time of Magic is that the readers meet kids their own age who are like them. Jorge, Camilla and Siggy are contemporary kids who live in Miami in the modern day. They travel back in time and meet kids their own age in the historical time periods they are visiting. The whole journey and all of the historical themes are revealed to the reader through the eyes of children. This is a powerful connection because this is how kids are able to socialize and connect with the experience. The other thing that I think really made Cousins in the Time of Magic accessible to kid readers is the illustrations. Poly Bernatene really brought the characters to life. Kids reading the book see the characters expressions on their faces, and their body language. I think the pictures add another layer of connection and immediacy, as well as excitement and an emotional depth to the character’s experiences. The style of the illustrations adds a kind of wonder and magic to the book. They also make it easier to visualize certain historical technologies, such as a telegram test transmitter and an ironclad.
Jen: What are some ways you approach difficult topics such as colonialism and racism?
Emma: My hope is that kids get sucked into this big exciting magical adventure and are swept along by the story. There are those bigger historical issues that a kid might not pick up on the first time reading through, especially a younger reader. My approach to talking about difficult topics in history with kids is to be up front and to use words that they can understand. It’s not complicated to talk about things like racism and colonialism, right? It’s actually fairly simple. Europeans made a lot of money enslaving people and growing crops like sugar. That’s why they wanted to hold onto power, and hold onto these territories. In some ways because it is so basic, it is the most simple thing in the world to understand. It’s greed. The reason adults make these concepts complicated is that we’re trying to sanitize events for children. We don’t want to tell kids, yeah, there are emperors and they want to colonize people and hold on to power because they want to be powerful. Kids understand that. It’s never easy to talk about racism or the history of slavery for kids. Part of what made it clear to me that this was the path we need to follow was thinking about who those narratives serve to protect and who I was trying to speak to. I’m just trying to be really honest. I also think that if kids don’t know what racism and colonialism look like, because we’re constantly trying to sanitize it and make it more palatable to them, then we can’t expect them to notice it when it starts to sneak up on them and their own lives.
Jen: What surprised you most while writing this book?
Emma: I was surprised how hard it was to find research material for my book. I very rarely meet somebody who, when I say, “I’m writing a book about Cinco de Mayo,” who says, “Well, what’s that?” Everybody knows it’s a holiday but very few people know the history. It wasn’t that big a thing in Mexico, it’s a much bigger deal here in the United States. It was so hard to find relevant books in the United States. Eventually I went to Mexico where my cousins lived. We went to Puebla, so I got to see the sights in real life with my own eyes. I went to a bookstore and brought home a bag of books written in Spanish. That is how I did the research for the Mexico part of the book.
Jen: I know you have never been through a time traveling portal, but what parts of this book are closest to your life? Are you close with your cousins?
Emma: The place where the kids begin their adventure is inspired by two houses. One is my grandmother’s house in Miami, where I spent a lot of time with my cousins playing in her yard and running around. The tinajón, the big clay pot that the kids climb into to time travel, was inspired by my father’s house, and the house my father grew up in in Cuba. He had a painting that my grandmother had made of that house so I always had this image in my mind. That’s where the premise of the portal came from.
Illustration by Poly Bernatene in Cousins in the Time of Magic
I’m close with cousins on both sides of the family. One of my cousins who lives in Mexico was very helpful with the research for this book, because he hosted me. My cousins in Miami were also helpful. I kept texting them things like, where would these kids live and, what street would this be near? I’m lucky to have a lot of different cousins all spread out in different places, Jorge, the youngest cousin in the book, reminds me of one of my uncles, who must have broken more bones than I can count. He’s my mom’s youngest brother and always kind of doing athletic and somewhat headlong things.
Jen: Jorge, Camilla and Siggy all embrace their Latino identity. Can you expand upon this aspect of the book?
Emma: The three cousins are growing up in a predominantly Latino city, and they spend a lot of time with each other. All three of them are bilingual, they’re all Latinos on both sides, although their parents come from different parts of Latin America. On the one hand they experience this real pride and comfort with their Latino identity. On the other hand, they live in a society and in a moment that tends to project hostility toward Latinos. So my vision for the book is that by learning about their own history and especially learning about their people’s role in the establishment, founding and shaping of the major moments in US history, they start to feel more pride of identity that goes beyond just their experience within their own community. I also wanted them to have the valuable experience of traveling back in time and meeting other kids who are Latino and who speak Spanish.
Jen: Can you give an example of how this appears in your book?
Emma: I highlight this in a scene where the cousins are in their magic boat and they’re trying to make land. They are in Virginia on the peninsula during the Civil War era. A boy runs into their boat shouting in Spanish. He’s a Union drummer boy, but he’s Cuban American. He’s a fictional character, but there was a well-known Union officer who was Cuban American and who spoke Spanish. I made this child up so that the kids would have an experience that really existed in history. Although we don’t talk about it, a very large percentage of the Union army was foreign born or second generation. Another important piece of this character’s identity is that the kids learned to counter the narrative that there is something new or different or odd about Latinos in the United States.
Jen: What are some of your favorite middle grade novels?
Emma: This question is hard for me because I read so many different books and it’s always hard to choose one book or one author. I’m thinking about my own colleagues in children’s literature. Tammy Charles is one of my critique partners and so I read absolutely everything she writes. I’ve gotten to read some of her work in manuscript form. I feel like Angela Cervantes is somebody who’s a colleague and has always been one step ahead of me. She wrote Gaby Lost and Found, an incredible that book came out shortly before my first book came out, so I’ve always been following her path and her trajectory. Those are just two authors I love to read and I could probably go on and on and on, but I’ll just give you those two.
Jen: Is there anything else that you would like readers to know about Cousins in the Time of Magic?
Emma: I want them to know that I consider this history to be vital. Any time you write about a group like Latinos that are not a majority group, you run the risk of your book being put on the shelf in the corner. You run the risk of tokenism. You run the risk of your book being trotted out at Hispanic heritage month and never again. This history is especially relevant to Latinos, but I think that everybody should know this history. I don’t think it’s incidental. I didn’t go dig up a story so that I could find a way to fit Latinos into the history of the United States. It’s actually the real history. So I hope that kids read it and it reshapes their understanding of the United States. I hope this is not too ambitious to say, but this is my hope.
Jen: Now that your wonderful book is out in the world, what’s next?
Emma: I’m working on another manuscript about the cousins that will take them to meet some really important Latino intellectual figures in the 20th century.
Illustration by E.L. Konigsburg in From the Mixed-Up Files of Basil E. Franweiler
Jen: Do you have any connection to the book The Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler?
Emma: It is one of my favorite books I grew up on that train line that E.L.Konigsburg talks about. That moment when the kids are on the cement platforms of the Metro-North train is a moment that always made an impression on me as a kid coming into the city from the suburbs. I think she captures so well going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art like I did with a lot of my friends growing up. Konigsburg once said she had never seen kids who were so comfortable on the outside and so uncomfortable on the inside. This made a big impression on me.
No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round so …
Favorite place to write? Lately any one of the many coffee shops in Astoria, Queens
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate!
Superpower? Getting rid of stuff! My family lives in a small apartment but I have never once complained of not having enough storage. I’m ruthless.
Dream job when you were a kid? I was lucky that the grown-ups in my life rarely asked me this question as a kid. I got to focus on what I liked to do, especially reading, so for many years I was pretty sure I would grow up to be a fairy, a princess, or a mermaid!
Jen: Where can readers find you if they want to reach out?
You can connect with me through my website https://emmaotheguy.com/childrens-literature/
Otheguy, Emma REINA RAMOS Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $17.99 4, 30 ISBN: 9780063223226
Reina Ramos plays tour guide to her visiting cousin while navigating big feelings.
Reina's excited to welcome Andrés to her city. He's two years older than her, and they haven't seen each other in a long time, so she wonders if they'll have a good time. Abuela and Andrés have so much to chat about as he shares news from "the island," but Reina has never been there and feels left out of the conversation. Even Reina's friend Carlos has been to the island and shares a connection with Andrés. Mami explains that Andrés is likely homesick, but Reina is still left feeling excluded. When Reina snaps at Andrés after a subway mishap, the cousins finally have a chance to clear the air. Reina realizes that even though the city feels familiar to her, it's a whole new world for Andrés, and he misses the island. He reminds her that they're family, and they decide that they'll teach each other about their respective homes. The book's concise sentences and its rich vocabulary, including both English and some Spanish words, make it ideal for beginning readers. The narrative skillfully portrays respectful conflict resolution, perspective-taking, and flexibility. The family is Latine; although which island Andrés is from is never explicitly mentioned, a reference to Celia Cruz hints at Cuba.
Problem-solving is on display in this delightful story. (Spanish glossary) (Early reader. 4-7)
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"Otheguy, Emma: REINA RAMOS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A784238433/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=92336e08. Accessed 17 Sept. 2025.
Otheguy, Emma COUSINS IN THE TIME OF MAGIC Atheneum (Children's None) $17.99 2, 25 ISBN: 9781665915182
Three cousins from Miami are magically transported back in time.
Siggy, Camila, and Jorge couldn't be more different--Siggy is an aspiring influencer, Camila is a daydreaming bookworm, and Jorge is a bold adventurer. But they share Tía Xía, their history-loving aunt. When Jorge spots Tía Xía with a "diamond-encrusted sword," he wants answers, but he, Siggy, and Camila just have more questions when they stumble through a portal in Tía Xía's front yard. They're transported back to 1862 Virginia, just before the Battle of Puebla, the reason Cinco de Mayo is celebrated today. To find their way home, the kids and their aunt must travel south to Mexico to deliver the magical sword to General Ignacio Zaragoza before May fifth. Heading south, they traverse their way through the ongoing U.S. Civil War and encounter Alfonso, a Cuban American drummer boy in the Union Army, Oscar, an enslaved boy, and Pascuala, an Indigenous girl who speaks Nahuatl and is supporting the Mexican Army. The original plot, historical setting, and fantasy elements are compelling, and the themes about understanding your heritage and taking pride in who you are will resonate with Latine readers especially. Otheguy also thoughtfully explores politics, ethics, family, and morality. Bernatene's accomplished illustrations scattered throughout provide readers with visuals that will help guide their imaginations.
A high-stakes story that provides historical facts and intriguing magic wrapped up in one exciting quest. (historical notes, glossary, further reading, bibliography)(Adventure. 8-12)
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"Otheguy, Emma: COUSINS IN THE TIME OF MAGIC." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A819570227/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=05f0a8d6. Accessed 17 Sept. 2025.
For the three Latino kids transported to 1862 Mexico in Emma Otheguy's latest novel, the outcome of the American Civil War hangs in the balance.
COUSINS IN THE TIME OF MAGIC, by Emma Otheguy; illustrated by Poly Bernatene
Time travel can be a funny thing. A risky one, too. When it wanders into the darker corners of history, the present isn't the only thing that hangs in the balance. In Emma Otheguy's imaginative and entertaining ''Cousins in the Time of Magic," though, the reward is well worth the risk.
The novel begins on a Monday afternoon like any other at its three adolescent central characters' loving but scatterbrained aunt Xía's house in Miami. Siggy, the oldest, is a budding influencer who's recording a video for a hair product called Mirror-Shine Sheen. Camila, a bibliophile, is deep in one of her animal books. Jorge, the youngest and a thrill seeker, is climbing the garage roof on a dare from a pompous neighborhood boy he can't stand. But when Jorge sees his aunt stashing a diamond-encrusted sword into a large clay pot in the front yard, everything changes.
Tía Xía, who works at the Latin History Museum, loves to lecture the cousins about how ''history is alive'' and how ''the past speaks.'' Only they didn't expect it to speak this vividly.
They soon find themselves stumbling through the tinajón in the yard (where Tía Xía hid the sword) and emerging on an eerie, unfamiliar beach, far from Miami. Stranger still, three paper boats sit anchored near the shore, as if waiting to be discovered.
When Jorge spots the sword in one of them, he jumps into the boat, grabs it and slashes it through the air with glee. The others join him in the vessel and marvel at the weapon, admiring its blade and precious gems.
Siggy asks his cousins if they think their aunt knows about this mysterious island to which they've been transported. ''She definitely knows,'' Jorge answers confidently.
As if on cue -- just as their boat's anchor disengages, causing them to float out to sea -- Tía Xía appears on the shore, climbs into one of the other boats and paddles out to them, entreating Jorge to give her the sword. When he holds it out to her, Jorge feels ''a surge of electricity, like something warm and bubbly was flowing from his fingers to his toes.'' After he lets go and Tía Xía takes it, a furious wind kicks up and carries her away from them.
Otheguy's fantastical prose and charming characters keep the pages turning.
As the cousins sail off in a boat that looks ''more like life-size origami than a seaworthy vessel,'' they barely evade an ironclad warship firing at them in hot pursuit. Trying to make sense of their new surroundings, they encounter a runaway drummer boy named Alfonso who claims to be in the Union Army and is searching for his father, a Cuban-born Union spy who has been captured by Confederates.
The three learn that not only are they hundreds of miles from Miami, in Virginia, but they have also sailed through time, to 1862, smack dab in the middle of the Civil War. Soon they meet an enslaved boy named Oscar, whose father has been ''sold on to Cuba,'' who reminds them that ''freedom matters everywhere.'' And so the book's title is both on the nose and perfectly endearing.
As it turns out, Tía Xía is not simply a frizzy-haired historian who sometimes disappears for long stretches and returns home covered in sand. She is also a time traveler on a critical mission to get the magical sword into the hands of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza before May 5.
Zaragoza is best known for leading the Mexican Army to victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, now celebrated as Cinco de Mayo. These events are significant to the course of U.S. history.
After the cousins surmise that Tía Xía has been seized ''by the same people who want to steal the sword,'' the escapade becomes something of a rescue mission for everyone involved. The only way for the trio to save their aunt, help their new friends and return home is to restore the sword to General Zaragoza and, finally, bear witness to the Battle of Puebla.
Otheguy's novel is deeply original, action-packed and brimming with historical richness and wit.
It is particularly satisfying to see how her characters change and grow on their journey, ultimately gaining a better understanding of their culture and its influence on the United States at large. She does a wonderful job of infusing the complexity of identity into the narrative while maintaining a welcome playfulness.
Lovely illustrations by Poly Bernatene -- scattered smartly throughout -- add a touch more magic to an already enchanting book.
COUSINS IN THE TIME OF MAGIC | By Emma Otheguy; illustrated by Poly Bernatene | (Ages 8 to 12) | Atheneum | 240 pp. | $17.99
Juan Vidal is the author of the young adult verse novel ''A Second Chance on Earth'' and the memoir ''Rap Dad,'' about father-son dynamics and Latino masculinity through the lens of hip-hop culture.
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PHOTOS: From ''Cousins in the Time of Magic.'' This article appeared in print on page BR18.
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Vidal, Juan. "A Cinco de Mayo Time Travel Fantasy." The New York Times Book Review, 26 Jan. 2025, p. 18. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A824812398/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f301912c. Accessed 17 Sept. 2025.