Wifredo's Jungle

The Power of Wifredo Lam's Art

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Abrams Books for Young Readers

(pub. 8.25.2026)

40 pages

Ages 6 - 8

Author: Margarita Engle

   Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcántara

Character: Wifredo Lam

Overview:

"In a village on the tropical island of Cuba, a boy named Wifredo Lam loved to draw his surroundings―hot blue air, cool green leaves, and brilliant flowers.

As he grew older, Lam paid tribute to his Cuban, West African, and Chinese heritage through his art, which brought dignity and respect to Cuba’s rich mix of cultures.

Inspired by and in contact with some of the most renowned artists of the early 20th century, such as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and André Breton, Lam blended European cubism and surrealism with multicultural influences to create his own unique style, culminating in the creation of his masterpiece La Jungla (The Jungle)."

Tantalizing taste:

" He began painting a jungle

where wild plants and sugarcane grew

entwined, animals and people

were tangled together,

roots became feet, shoulders

sprouted leaves, and rounded shapes

could either be viewed as ripe fruits

or instruments in the hands of musicians."

And something more: In the More About Wifredo Lam section: "Wifredo is now widely regarded as the most important of all Cuban painters, and La Jungla is accepted as his masterpiece. His success paved the way for other modern artists of Latin American, African, Asian, and Indigenous ancestry... After he received the Guggenheim International Award in 1964, retrospectives of his work were exhibited in museums throughout Europe."