First Fridays to celebrate Hispanic artists
Aug. 30—GOSHEN — Savor the final days of summer Friday this week with Goshen's First Fridays from 5-9 p.m.
As Hispanic Heritage Month, the festival is also a day to honor Goshen's Hispanic population. Authors attending the monthly book signing at Fables Books, 215 S. Main St., will be Naun Cerrato, Christopher T. Greenleif, and Amish Romance writer Mindy Steele from 6-8 p.m.
Cerrato's newest book features a whole new story. His first book, "The Magic Book Of Isabela," told the story of a young girl and her single mother navigating an all-new world of mystery and magic and telling the stories of coming-of-age and life changes through their lens. The new story, "Hope, The Penguin Who Saved Christmas," focuses on a little South Pole penguin, who comes into the modern world, only to discover the disparities of human life — specifically that of Christmas.
"There's a lot of children in America who don't have access to the magic of Christmas," Cerrato said. "I know it's not about gifts, but for children to understand older human concepts, it's not easy."
It's a bilingual book about 40 foster children who write Letters to Santa. They aren't asking for computers, or bicycles, or game systems. What these children want is family — a mother and a father. The villain, a former foster child himself turned rich and powerful businessman, convinces the owner of the foster homes to destroy the letters, but some of them make it to Hope, the penguin, and she begins her journey to spread the news to the community eventually making all the way to the local newspaper, the mayor's office, and to families urgently wanting to adopt.
"It's not going to be easy," Cerrato said. "Whatever the situation, every child should have the opportunity to know even if they cannot afford an iPad, iPhone, they are still special and there are people out there who will care about those children."
Cerrato's books are available at Fables, where he and the other two authors will be doing signings from 6-8 p.m. Friday, and also on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Also happening at First Fridays:
Los Ortega will provide a live soundtrack for the night.
I M SHE, The MAC, Kozahz Boutique, and Jules Boutique will host Summer-to-Fall Fashion Show at 6 p.m. on the First Fridays stage with the help of Salon J, Fused 508, and T's New You.
There will also be a Mustang Showcase on Main Street between Washington Street and Jefferson Street sponsored by Eby Ford.
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.
