The LBBC's Best of 2010

The new year is less than a week away, and it is boggling my mind just how quickly 2010 has passed. I have been thinking of all the wonderful books that we have reviewed this year, and so for our final post I have assembled a list of some of our favorites. If you haven't had a chance to read them, put them on your list for the coming year! And don't hesitate to share your favorites as well.

Click on the titles to read the full review...

Growing Up with Tamales, Los tamales de Ana
by Gwendolyn Zepeda
Illustrated by April Ward

The tale is told from the perspective of six year old Ana, who yearns to be just like her big sister, Lidia...





Arroz con leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America
Selected and illustrated by Lulu Delacre

A valuable collection of traditional nursery rhymes and finger plays told throughout the Latin America.

A Movie in My Pillow,Una película en mi almohada
Poems by Jorge Argueta
Illustrations by Elizabeth Gómez

Poems about the experience of a young, immigrant boy as he leaves his homeland of Ecuador and begins his new life in San Francisco.




The Cricket Sings: Poems and Songs for Children
by Federico García Lorca

A "must-have" selection of the poems and songs that Federico Garcia Lorca wrote especially for children, presented together with the Spanish texts.

 

Napí funda un pueblo, Napí Makes a Village

by Domi

The story of a young Mazateca girl, who remembers when her family and friends were made to leave their village and settle in a new land.






The Tooth Fairy Meets el Ratón Pérez

by René Colato Laínez

illustrated by Tom Lintern

The story of how the American Tooth Fairy and the Latin American Ratón Pérez meet for the first time as they each arrive at a young boy's bedroom to collect his first baby tooth.

¡Muu, Moo! Rimas de animales, Animal Nursery Rhymes

Selected by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

English versions by Rosalma Zubizarreta

Illustrated by Viví Escrivá

A classic collection of poems and stories about animals for children.




Shake It, Morena!

compiled by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
illustrations by Lulu Delacre

A potpourri of songs, riddles, and stories from Puerto Rico.



The Música Amiga Series

by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

illustrated by Ulises Wensell

An anthology of 120 compositions presenting Hispanic folklore and original poems.







My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood
written by Rosemary Wells with Secundino Fernandez
illustrated by Peter Ferguson

The childhood story of Cuban émigré and architect, Secundino Fernandez.


Rosita y Conchita
by Eric Gonzalez and Erich Haeger

A Día de los Muertos book that reflects the traditions of the holiday.


Grandma’s Chocolate/El chocolate de Abuelita

by Mara Price

illustrated by Lisa Fields

Spanish translation by Gabriela Baeza Ventura

The story of a young girl and the lessons she learns about her heritage - and the history of chocolate - during one of her Abuelita’s visits.

Bilingual Books for Navidad

Feliz Navidad and Merry Christmas. This is a list of bilingual books for Navidad. Read them in English or Spanish or both. Let's celebrate in two languages and in two cultures.

Growing up with tamales/ Los tamales de Ana by Gwendolyn Zepeda. Illustrated April Ward . Spanish translation by Gabriela Baeza Ventura.

Six-year-old Ana looks forward to growing older and being allowed more responsibility in making the tamales for the family's Christmas celebrations.





Benito's bizcochitos by Ana Baca. Illustrated by Anthony Accardo. Spanish translation by Julia Mercedes Castilla.

As they prepare to make the traditional Christmas cookies known as bizcochitos, Christina's grandmother tells her the story of how a magical butterfly first introduced these sweet treats to her great grandfather, a shepherd in the hills of New Mexico.




Merry Navidad!: Christmas Carols in Spanish and English/Villancicos en español e ingles by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. Illustrated by Vivi Escriva.

This illustrated book for children introduces and organizes Christmas songs into the following categories: on the road to Bethlehem, the posadas, Christmas eve, the shepherds, Christmas lullabies, Saint Joseph, the Christmas tree, aguinaldos, and the Three Wise Kings. Musical notations of six of the songs are included at the end.



Celebra La Navidad Y El Dia De Los Reyes Magos Con Pablo Y Carlitos / Celebrate Christmas and Three Kings Day With Pablo and by F. Isabel Campoy Isabel and Alma Flor Ada. Illustrated by Walter Torres.

Brothers Pablo and Carlitos write letters to the three kings, telling them the gifts they want to receive on Three Kings' Day. Includes facts about Christmas and Three Kings' Day.





The Christmas Gift: El regalo de Navidad by Francisco Jiménez. Illustrated by Claire B. Cotts.

When his family has to move again a few days before Christmas in order to find work, Panchito worries that he will not get the ball he has been wanting.







Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid written and illustrated by Xavier Garza.

One night Santa Claus transformed his cousin Pancho into the resplendent Charro Claus with his incredible Flying Burritos. And Charro Claus, it turns out, even had his own surprise elf-his nephew Vincente! All Christmas Eve, Vincente and Pancho deliver toys to the boys and girls on the border.






The Gift of the Poinsettia/ El Regalo De LA Flor De Nochebuena
by Pat Mora and Charles Ramirez Berg. Illustrated by Daniel Lechon.

As he participates in the festivities of Las Posadas, preparing for the birth of Christ, a young Mexican boy worries about what gift he will have for the baby Jesus.







Mimi' s Parranda / La Parranda De Mimi by Lydia M. Gil. Illustrated by Hernan Sosa.

Mimi is disappointed when she learns that her family won't make their annual trip to Puerto Rico. She doesn't want to miss her parranda, but her friends have a plan.





The Christmas tree/El árbol de Navidad : a Christmas rhyme in English and Spanish by Alma Flor Ada. Illustrated by Terry Ybáñez.

A cumulative rhyme describes the decorating of the family Christmas tree.

December's Libro del Mes: José Feliciano's Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad

by José Feliciano

illustrated by David Diaz

The LBBC’s recommendation for December’s Libro del Mes, is José Feliciano’s Feliz Navidad.

Singer/songwriter, José Feliciano’s popular Christmas song comes to life in this beautifully illustrated book. Caldecott Medal winner, David Diaz, creates a stunning story with a collage of images that center around the parrandas of Puerto Rico, where Feliciano was born. The beginning of the book includes an introduction that introduces the history of parrandas and describes this festive tradition.

Blind from birth, Feliciano has more than 65 albums out and has received six Grammy® Awards. He is also the first performer to win pop music awards in two language categories. Talk about inspirational! Feliciano wrote the song, “Feliz Navidad,” when he was only 24 and feeling homesick for his native Puerto Rico. You can read his story here.

David Diaz’s distinctive style is instantly recognizable and has landed him high-profile clients such as American Express, Warner Bros., and even the Olympics. In the Latino children’s literature market, he may be best known for his books, Diego: Bigger Than Life, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand; The Pot That Juan Built, written by Nancy Andrews-Goebel; and Cesar: Si, Se Puede!, also written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand.

If you would like to buy your own copy of Feliz Navidad, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.

Bilingual Board Books by Leslie Patricelli *GIVEAWAY*

With the holidays quickly approaching, I hope many of you will consider giving your children the gift language and literacy this year with some bilingual books.

To help you out, Candlewick Press has graciously offered four books for me to giveaway. FOUR lucky LBBC readers will receive a copy of one of Leslie's Patricelli's board books, Higher! Higher!/¡Más alto! ¡Más alto! and The Birthday Box/Mi caja de cumpleaños. These books are written for children ages 2-5, but may be enjoyed by older children learning a second language.

I reviewed these books back in October and if you'd like to learn more about them, click here.

THE GIVEAWAY

Since there isn't much time, I am going to make this a fast giveaway, so to enter for your chance to win, please leave a message on this post letting us know what types of gifts you plan to give your children this year.

For an additional entry, you can also:

• Join our Facebook page (be sure to leave a separate comment letting us know that you did!)

Since to allow the publisher time to ship these books before the holidays arrive, I'm going to make this a fast giveaway, so the deadline to enter is December 12th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. Only U.S. and CANADIAN residents are eligible to enter this giveaway.

**VERY IMPORTANT!!! You MUST leave a contact email in your comment, so that I am not trying to track you down. If you are following on FB, that's fine, but tell me your name, so I can send you a message. AND, instead of my regular 72 hour rule, the winner will only have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. 

¡Buena suerte!

This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Literacy...and Culture!

The holidays are fast approaching and just like most of you, I have been busy searching for gifts. Regalitos not only for amigos y familia, but also for my children. Every year, I look for unique items to give those that I love. And one of my favorite places to explore is the Latino Family Holiday Gift Guide.

This is our third year to participate in the guide, which is a joint effort by small business owners to present some of their best products for Latino families.

I hope you will stop by there and take a look at the original items, many of which reflect our diverse and beautiful cultures.

Another thing that is influencing my gift giving choices this year, is the educational impact of the object. At least for my children, I am being careful to choose items that I feel are benefiting them in one way or another. I want less frivolous toys and more valuable games, books, and products that develop literacy, math skills, creativity, etc. Books are pretty high on the list, naturally, and this week the LBBC will be sharing with you our top books for the Latino family's home library. 

We also have a couple of quick giveaways coming up this week in order to provide you with some additional presents for the special children in your life.

¡Un abrazo grande a todos!  May you have joyful holiday season!

~Monica