Sounds Like Joy by Yesenia Moises (Hardcover)

Childrens Picture Book - Mermaids & Mermen - Hispanic & Latino -  Ages 4-8

Published: 5/6/2025

A little mermaid explores the magical feeling of playing and creating with fishy friends in Sounds Like Joy, a colorful underwater picture book and essential read-aloud from Yesenia Moises, illustrator of tennis Olympian Serena Williams’s The Adventures of Qai Qai!

One day, Joy finds something unexpected on the ocean reef. When she shakes it, it makes a brand-new noise!

Soon she and her aquatic animal friends are dancing to the beat and feeling amazing . . . until her “jingle-jangle” loses a few important pieces and stops making the special sound she loves.

The little mermaid’s friends spring into action with some creative noisemaking to cheer her up! How can they use what they have under the sea to make the sound she’s missing?

AUTHOR BIO: 

Yesenia Moises is an Afro-Latina author and illustrator who uses colorful illustrations to create wonder and magic for young readers. Her picture book Stella's Stellar Hair received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, and she also served as the illustrator for tennis Olympian Serena Williams's The Adventures of Qai Qai.

"Moises' energizing, jewel-toned illustrations are the epitome of sweetness. Readers will relish the songlike onomatopoeia on almost every page, and careful youngsters will notice the cleverly placed breadcrumbs portending the jingle-jangle's fate. A harmonious tribute to the power of music--and friendship."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"Yesenia brings musicality to every illustration with sounds that leap off the page. This warm and welcoming picture book celebrates the magic of music and the power of community; with charming characters and rich colors, it is a vibrant tribute to the ways music unites us." -- Vashti Harrison, #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Little Leaders and Big

"Chaka Chaka, La di da di, WHOOSH SWOOSH, BLUB: The words Sound Like Joy! The colorful story feels like love!"
-- C. G. Esperanza, award-winning author-illustrator of Boogie Boogie, Y'all

"This exquisitely illustrated book is a true feast of color and sounds, sure to bring joy to all who read it." -- Eric Velasquez, award-winning author-illustrator of Grandma's Gift and Octopus Stew