Olinguito Speaks Up

Cecilia Velastegui

Dec 2013 · Libros Publishing

About this ebook

Olinguito is a shy and furry animal that sucks his thumb all day long and hides in the treetops of the Ecuadorian cloud forest. No one in the whole world knows that he exists. Olinguito is too shy to let the other creatures know that he has been listening and watching them, and enjoying the tales told by Tomas, an ancient Galapagos tortoise. Tomas loves to tell fantastic stories about the strange creatures of the Galapagos Islands, from the poisonous longnose stubfoot toad to a Pinta Island tortoise named Lonesome George, who no one in the cloud forest has ever seen. When Olinguito hears the other cloud forest animals ridicule Tomas for making things up, he realizes that these are not tall tales—they are memories of creatures driven to extinction. Shy Olinguito is finally moved to speak up in defense of Tomas. This poignant story addresses respect, both for the environment and for our elderly, and explores universal themes of friendship, memories, and finding the courage to speak up.

About the author

Cecilia Velastegui was born high up in the Andes Mountains in Quito, Ecuador, where she spent her childhood. Although she now lives at sea level, she still owns two friendly alpacas. She was raised in California and France, and has traveled to over fifty countries. She received her graduate degree from the University of Southern California, and speaks four languages. Velastegui’s previous novel, Traces of Bliss, received First Place in Popular Fiction at the International Latino Book Awards in June 2012. It was also selected by the Association of American Publishers on the 2012 Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club. Her debut novel, Gathering the Indigo Maidens, was a finalist in four categories in the International Latino Book Awards. She donates a portion of her proceeds to the fight against human trafficking, which is an underlying theme in her novels.