Gloria Estefan is lending her voice to the audiobook edition of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s new children’s book, People magazine reports.
The singer will narrate Sotomayor’s Just Shine!: How To Be a Better You, the fifth children’s book from the jurist who joined the Supreme Court in 2009. The book, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara, tells the story of a Puerto Rican girl who brings out the best in everyone she meets. It is inspired by Sotomayor’s mother, Celina Báez, who died in 2021. A critic for Kirkus called the book “a thoughtful primer on the transformative power of goodness.”
Estefan has one of the most recognizable voices in pop music. She gained fame as the lead singer of Miami Sound Machine, known for its hit single “Conga,” and later launched a solo career, making the charts with songs including “Get on Your Feet” and “Turn the Beat Around.”
Sotomayor’s previous children’s books include Turning Pages, illustrated by Lulu Delacre; The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor; Just Ask!, illustrated by Rafael López; and Just Help!, illustrated by Angela Dominguez.
In an excerpt from the Just Shine! audiobook posted on YouTube, Estefan reads, “Listen closely, and I will tell you a story: a story about Celina. On the outside, Celina looked like any other girl you might know. But on the inside, she had a heart so big, she filled her world with love. And that love was so bright, she lit up everyone around her.”
The print and audiobook editions of Just Shine! are scheduled for release on September 9.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
