On July 15, 2025, Janney “Chiquis” Rivera, 39, released her first children’s story titled La niña que le canta a las abejas (in English The Girl Who Sings to Bees), available in Spanish and English, published by HarperCollins and Roaring Brook Press.
The story is inspired by Chiquis’ childhood and her bond with her mother, the late singer Jenni Rivera. It narrates the life of Janney, a young girl who loses her voice after the death of her mother.
Origin and meaning of the Chiquis book
Through her connection with a bee in her grandmother’s garden, she recovers her inner song and confronts bullying.
Chiquis shared on social media: “A girl who… after being rejected and hurt, learns to believe in herself… and about the eternal love between mother and daughter, even when the mother is not physically present”.
The author explained that the creative process was an act of personal healing and a message of hope for children who have experienced loss.
Healing, grief and empowerment
Together with Dominican writer Lissette Norman, with whom she collaborated for more than two years, Chiquis sought to reflect experiences of loss, bullying and the power of resilience.
Illustrated by Geraldine Rodriguez, the book focuses on values such as courage, unconditional love and recognition of self-worth. As Chiquis put it: “This book is a little piece of my heart…a love letter to my inner child.”
Launching and reception
The official launch was on July 21, 2025 in Pasadena, California, in front of an excited audience.
It will be available at bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target, aimed at children ages 4 to 8.
Media outlets such as People en Español emphasize that it is a bilingual proposal that unites the Latin oral tradition with universal values.
In her post, Chiquis mentioned that singing with her mother to make flowers grow was the central inspiration for the story.
Dentro del libro, se representan varios dibujos en los que aparecería la caricatura de Jenni Rivera junto a la protagonista, en este caso, Chiquis
Wants to win over Hispanic families
Buzzy
For many Hispanic families in the United States, this work represents:
Bicultural culture: a bilingual project that connects Hispanic roots with U.S. educational environments.
Child empowerment: empowers children who have experienced bullying or loss to value their voice and their story.
Mother-son legacy: a tribute to Jenni Rivera, an emblematic figure of strength and inspiration, especially for mothers and daughters in the Latino community.
Chiquis Rivera transforms pain into hope with a book that combines her mother’s nostalgia and her own story of growing up. In U.S. Latino households, this story is an opportunity to educate about emotions, identity and family love.
Here is a video of the presentation of Chiquis’ book.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.
