Cover Reveal of My Roller Skates by Meg Medina, presented by The Children’s Book Review.
Get ready to roll! We’re revealing the cover of one of the most anticipated picture books of 2027.
We’re thrilled to share the cover of My Roller Skates by Newbery Medal–winning author Meg Medina and Pura Belpré Honor recipient Leo Espinosa. Bursting with sweet pops of summer color, movement, and retro charm, the cover is the perfect introduction to Luci and her beloved sparkly-laced skates, and the heartwarming, relatable story of friendship and growing up that follows. Equally fantastic? My Roller Skates releases simultaneously in Spanish as Mis patines. Look for both books on March 9, 2027.
Creating beautiful picture books takes a whole team. Shoutout to editor Kate Fletcher and book designers Heather McGhee (English edition) and Hayley Parker (Spanish edition).
Ready for the big reveal? Check out the gorgeous covers and then scroll down to discover more about the story in our conversation with the wonderful Meg Medina.
Cover Reveals
Author Interview
Luci’s roller skates have white boots, sparkly laces, and wheels that sing cha-cha-cha on the sidewalk. Did you ever have a pair of shoes (or skates!) growing up that felt that magical?
Meg Medina (MM): Actually, I am old enough to remember metal roller skates that could adjust in length and width with a little silver key. But I do remember when boot-style skates came into style, and I did get a pair of those. I never wanted to take them off, which was a problem since I lived in a four-story apartment building with no elevator. My mother was always sure I was going to hurt myself on the stairs. Those skates were everything to me. They made me taller and faster than I was. They made a terrific sound on the sidewalk with each glide forward. I felt so free and powerful when I had them on, which wasn’t the feeling I usually enjoyed as a little girl.
Luci finally has something that’s hers alone—no sharing with siblings required. Were you a sharer as a kid? Any treasured object you definitely did NOT want your siblings touching?
MM: I was younger than my sister by five years, so it is very likely that I got into her art supplies more often than she liked. I don’t remember it being hard to share anything specific. However, raising my children and later, as a teacher, I saw how hard it can be for a child to part with something they love —even for a minute, even with their dearest friend. It can be tearful agony, made worse with parents getting embarrassed and demanding that their kids share.
This is another collaboration in the Candlewick family for you. What’s something readers might not realize about how a picture book like this comes together between author, illustrator, editor, and art director?
MM: Creating a picture book is truly collaborative, but readers are always surprised to learn that an author and illustrator usually never meet. In this case, I only met Leo by accident after all the art was complete. We both found ourselves at Logan Airport trying to escape before a huge snowstorm that eventually dumped 30 inches of snow on the area. It was such a joyous moment and a good opportunity for me to tell him what an incredible job he did. I feel grateful to Leo and to all the illustrators I’ve worked with. I learn so much about storytelling by studying how an illustrator approaches my stories in terms of what they choose to bring to the forefront and what they add that is not in my text.
In My Roller Skates, my text might say that the skates are hidden under Luci’s bed, but it’s Leo who gives us the image of Luci hanging upside down to check on them in their hiding spot. It tells us so much about her.
Picture books are made to be read aloud over and over. Is there a moment or sound in My Roller Skates that you can’t wait to hear kids repeat back to you?
MM: Oh, the cha-cha-cha for sure. It’s musical! But I’m fond of the downstairs neighbor banging on the pot to complain about the roller skating in the apartment, too. In real life, my neighbor used a broom handle to let me know I was too noisy. Still, I like the pan.
You’ve given young readers so many memorable characters — Merci, Evelyn, Mango’s abuela, and now Luci. If they all met at the same playground, who do you think Luci would gravitate toward?
MM: I love this question! I think Dani and Evelyn (from Evelyn del Rey is Moving Away) and Luci would find each other right away. They share a love for pretending when they play.
Ha-ha! Love that!
And finally — the big reveal! Leo Espinosa’s illustrations have such joyful energy and movement. What do you love most about the cover of My Roller Skates, and what do you hope catches a young reader’s eye when they spot Luci for the very first time?
MM: It’s impossible to love just one thing. It has a wonderful retro vibe, which is perfect since roller skating is having such a moment for kids as well as for adults who remember their own days of gliding around a rink to their favorite song or racing down their street. When kids see Luci on the cover, I hope they can feel how free and proud she feels in those glorious skates. How grown and powerful. Leo got everything exactly right about that.
Yes! He sure did.
About the Book
My Roller Skates
Illustrated by Leo Espinosa
Ages 5-7 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1536238488
Publisher’s Book Summary: A sweet, relatable, and nuanced story about friendship and sharing from the dream team of award-winning creators Meg Medina and Leo Espinosa.
Newbery Medal–winning author Meg Medina and Pura Belpré Honor recipient Leo Espinosa deliver a classic picture book about enjoying something you’ve helped save for, making decisions for yourself, and the essential, messy, and fun moments that come with growing up. Luci’s new roller skates have white boots, sparkly laces, and four wheels that sing on the sidewalk when she glides: Cha-cha-cha! Best of all, they are hers, so she doesn’t even have to share them with her siblings like everything else. Luci loves gliding on her skates while her friend Ray Ray bikes alongside her or plays the bad guy to her superhero. Until, that is, the day Ray Ray asks to try out her skates himself . . . The last thing Luci wants to do is let someone else use her special skates, but she does want to play with her friend. Is there some way they both can enjoy her roller skates? In a gently affirming tale for any child who has had a cherished something of their very own, Meg Medina’s playful storytelling and Leo Espinosa’s charming illustrations remind readers that taking turns is not the same as taking away.
Pre-Order the Book
Mis patines
Written by Meg Medina
Illustrated by Leo Espinosa
Ages 5-7 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1536257663
Pre-Order the Book
About the Author
Meg Medina is the Library of Congress’s 2023–2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears. She is also the author of award-winning young adult novels and picture books, including No More Señora Mimí, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese; Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez; Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator Award Honor Book; and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she lives in Richmond, Virginia.
For more information, visit https://megmedina.com.
About the Author
Leo Espinosa is an award-winning illustrator and designer from Bogotá, Colombia. He is the illustrator of many books for kids, including Major Taylor: World Cycling Champion by Charles R. Smith Jr. and Islandborn by Junot Díaz, a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor Book. His work has been featured by the New Yorker, the New York Times, the BBC, and more. Leo Espinosa lives with his family in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For more information, visit https://www.studioespinosa.com/.
Discover more books like My Roller Skates, by Meg Medina, by checking out our reviews and articles tagged with Cover Reveal, Sharing, Friendship, and Picture Books.
