Sonia De Los Santos, a renowned songwriter and children’s author, received a warm welcome at Kelly Elementary and E.N. White Elementary during a recent visit. A Latin Grammy nominee, Ms. De Los Santos captivated students with musical performances in English and Spanish and a reading of her newest children’s storybook, “La Golondrina.”
The author’s visit was made possible by Joan Grenier, owner of the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, and her Rise Up Reading/Leyendo Pa'Lante initiative, which donated 417 signed copies of "La Golondrina." Her donation meant that every student in grades PreK-1 at both elementary schools were able to take their own personal copy home to read again with their families.
“La Golondrina” tells the joyful story of a young girl’s fascination with a migratory swallow that sings in the trees outside her grandmother’s home in Mexico. As the tale unfolds, the young girl speaks to the bird about its upcoming journey northward to find food and a new home—much like the one her own father is making, and the one she will someday make, too.
Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Ms. De Los Santos has been singing in Spanish and English for audiences of all ages since 2007, when she joined the Grammy Award® winning group Dan Zanes and Friends. As a solo artist, she has released three family music albums and one EP that all celebrate the subjects that mean the most to her: migrating birds, friendship, chocolate, and anecdotes about growing up in Mexico and realizing her childhood dream of moving to New York.
Ms. De Los Santos has been nominated for a Latin Grammy® and hailed by Billboard as “one of the Latin Children’s music artists you should know” and "Best Latin Children's Music.” She has performed at renowned venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, The Getty Museum, The National Gallery of Art, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and many more. In 2020, Sonia launched En Casa con Sonia, an online musical series recorded from her home, and in 2021, she debuted ¿Qué Pasa, Sonia? a radio segment featuring some of her favorite songs at Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live.