Sumo Libre

What do you get when you mix sumo wrestling and Lucha libre? Find out in this funny and exuberant cross-cultural story celebrating two iconic wrestling styles, perfect for fans of Yuyi Morales’s Niño Wrestles the World.

Max loves to wrestle, and thinks lucha libre is the best sport ever!
Kenji loves to wrestle, and thinks sumo wrestling is the best sport ever times 1000!

What was an enjoyable day showing off their favorite wrestling moves has now turned into a nasty disagreement. But when Max and Kenji go their separate ways, they quickly learn that wrestling is no fun by yourself. With apologies exchanged and a friendship restored, Max and Kenji turn their love of wrestling into a magical day for their neighbors.

In this exciting mash up of lucha libre and sumo wrestling, Sumo Libre teaches how to overcome differences and work together to create something special.

Joe Cepeda is an award-winning illustrator of more than thirty-five books for children. He has illustrated books written by numerous notable authors, including Gary Soto, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Arnold Adoff, Monica Brown, Julius Lester, and Toni Morrison. Joe is the author-illustrator of Rafa Counts on Pápa and several early readers from the I Like to Read series, including Up, I Dig, I See, and I Hop. He received his B.F.A. in illustration from California State University, Long Beach, and served as the president of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles for over a decade. Joe lives in Southern California.