Latin Baby Book Club

Señor Pancho Had a Rancho

2013-08-14T01:07:00.000-04:00

I am very happy to present my tenth book in my writing career.

When I came to the United States, I discovered that not only people had problems learning a second language. Many farm animals had the same challenge too! El pollito said pío pío and the chick said peep peep.

I am sure that you know that Old MacDonald had a farm. Now, he has a new neighbor, el señor Pancho, and in his rancho he has many animales.

By René Colato Laínez

Illustrated by Elwood Smith

ISBN-13: 9780823426324
Publisher: Holiday House, Inc.
Publication date: 8/1/2013
Age range: 2 - 5 Years

"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" goes multicultural in this rollicking Spanish-English rendition.

The barnyard animals on Old MacDonald's and Señor Pancho's farms have a hard time communicating. MacDonald's rooster says cock-a-doodle-doo! While Señor Pancho's gallo says quiquirquí. The English-speaking chick says peep, peep, but el pollito says pio, pio. Then the cow says moo—and la vaca says mu! Maybe they're not so different after all! So all the animals come together for a barnyard fiesta, because dancing is a universal language.

Reviews

... [Readers] will enjoy learning the names of the animals in both English and Spanish and comparing the onomatopoeia in each language. Chock-full of bicultural fun on the farm. -Kirkus Reviews

This is an excellent choice for read-alouds, but it also includes a glossary and pronunciation guide, making it useful in one-on-one contexts for young readers looking to develop Spanish vocabulary. -School Library Journal

Señor Pancho Had a Racho but he also has an acticity sheet at Holiday House. You can get yours at http://www.holidayhouse.com/docs/HH_Senor_Ver2.pdf

Enjoy,

René Colato Laínez

My New Two Books!

2013-07-31T01:06:00.000-04:00

Juguemos al Fútbol/ Let's Play Football

My picture book has a book trailer! The Spanish book is already available. The bilingual version is coming this Fall.

CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA

My new picture book is Señor Pancho Had a Rancho. This is a Latino version of the popular English children's song Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

The book will be available this Fall.

saludos,

René Colato Laínez

Bobbi Salinas: Her Books

2013-05-29T01:35:00.001-04:00

Bobbi Salinas was an author and illustrator. I met her through her books in my classroom. My students loved her book "Los Tres Cochinitos, Nacho, Tito and Miguel." This is a great book about the three little pigs with the Latino style.

Several years later, I met her in person in the Latino Writers Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I told her about the fantastic impact of her books in the classroom.

This May, her dead body was found in Santa Fe, New Mexico. To read the news, visit
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_9aebdf12-2fb9-5be6-b8b2-29dad198ac66.html

Bobbi Salinas, descanse en paz

Today, I want to present some of her books.

The Three Pigs: Nacho, Tito and Miguel

By Bobbi Salinas

Spanish version by Amapola Franzen and Marcos Guerrero

This retold, non-violent version of The Three Pigs takes place in the Southwest. Miguel, the

cleverest of the pigs, sees through the wolf's artificially sugared tricks, and ultimately

destroys the wolf's power to deceive others.

Este versión relatada en forma no violenta de Los Tres Cerdos toma lugar en el sudoeste de los EUA. Miguel, el mas astuto de los cerdos, se da cuenta de los trucos artificialmente endulzados del lobo y termina destruyendo su poder para engañar a los demas. Este cuento expone que aquellos en el poder a veces son menos fuertes y temibles de lo que quieren que creamos.

Cinderella Latina

By Bobbi Salinas

Translated by Enrique Lamadrid

A bilingual, contemporary version of Cinderella by Charles Perrault, using Mexican-American culture to tell a new story.

Indo Hispanic Folk Art Traditions I

By Bobbi Salinas

A book of culturally-based, year-round activities with an emphasis on Christmas. Designed to promote awareness and understanding of this important holiday as it is celebrated in Indo-Hispanic communities. Contains recipes, craft projects and even ideas for creating and performing plays and costumes. Special deluxe edition printed in Spanish and English

Indo Hispanic Folk Art Traditions II /

Tradiciones Artesanales Indo-Hispanas II

By Bobbi Salinas

A book of culturally-based, year-round activities with an emphasis on the Day of the Dead. Designed to promote awareness and understanding of this important Indo-Hispanic holiday and of the folk art that has characterized its celebration from antiquity to the present. The Day of the Dead is a unique holiday that preserves and encourages folk art and folklore as no other holiday does. Recreated annually in the community, by the communit and for the community. Includes recipes, folk art projects, costumes, theatre and dance. This special deluxe edition is printed in Spanish and English.

Celebrate Día with Tito Puente!

2013-04-30T11:12:00.003-04:00

¡Felíz Día! Today is El día de los niños/El día de los libros, founded by Pat Mora, and we have just the book to help you celebrate – Monica Brown’s Tito Puente: Mambo King/Tito Puente: Rey del Mambo.

Monica brings the King of the Mambo’s story to life with lyrical language that begs to be read aloud, following Tito from his young days banging on pots and pans (and making so much noise that his Harlem neighbors told his mother to sign him up for music lessons) to the days when he finally achieved his dream of leading his own orchestra, going on to become a Latin music legend.

The book is illustrated by Rafael López, with whom Monica collaborated on My Name Is Celia/Me llamo Celia. As in their previous work together, Tito’s kinetic, contagious energy and rhythm explode off of the page no matter where he is making music – at the church, aboard his Navy ship during World War II, or at The Palladium. What is so compelling about these illustrations is that Rafael does a beautiful job not only in capturing Tito’s talent and musicality but in the joy that Tito’s music brought to all who heard him play.

Related Resources

For some great materials that accompany the book, take a look at Monica’s website, which includes a book trailer, videos in which Monica and Rafael discuss the creative process behind Tito, and a clip of Tito playing on Sesame Street. To hear more from Monica and Rafael, check out our interviews with them on Colorín Colorado, also available in Spanish and on YouTube. And for other great Latin-themed books about music, check out our Hispanic Heritage: Music and Rhyme booklist.

Good Night, Captain Mama/Buenas noches, Capitán Mamá

2013-04-25T04:00:00.000-04:00

Good Night, Captain Mama/Buenas noches, Capitán Mamá

by Graciela Tiscareño-Sato

illustrated by Linda Lens

It is with great pleasure that the LBBC participates in the blog tour of the new book, Good Night, Captain Mama/Buenas noches, Capitán Mamá, an original and much needed book. It is the heart-warming story of a young boy whose mother is an Air Force pilot. One night before bed, he notices her wearing her green uniform and begins to question her about her job and what all the patches on her uniform symbolize. She lovingly explains each one in language for a little boy like him to understand, and uses the patches to help teach her son about serving in the U.S. Air Force. Included in the back is a template with blank patches so your child to create her own.

The illustrations throughout the book are beautifully done and perfectly complement the story line. The colors are soft and soothing, making this book a great choice for bedtime reading.

Good Night, Captain Mama is a tribute to Latinas in the military and their families. What a powerful and positive image for children to experience - and one that is sorely lacking in the media! This book is worthy of note specifically because it is the ONLY bilingual book featuring a Latina veteran that will be available for children. This is a significant book that is not just for empowering Latino children, but all children, who benefit from seeing diversity in all areas of life.

This book would be a great read for children learning about the military, Veteran's Day, the Air Force, family relationships, working parents, and so much more. This book is best suited for children ages 4 and older.

Book Tour Schedule 4/22-4/26

Mon 4/22 Condor Musings http://condormusings.wordpress.com
Tues 4/23 Latino Book Examiner http://www.examiner.com/latino-books-in-national/mayra-calvani
Wed 4/24 OC Gente http://ocgente.com
Thurs 4/25 Latin Baby Book Club http://www.latinbabybookclub.com/ AND Mama XXI http://mamaxxi.com
Fri 4/26 Latina Lista http://latinalista.com AND New Latina http://newlatina.com

Twitter Party

Fri 4/26 1PM Eastern/10AM Pacific
#captmama

We will be discussing bilingual children's books, and the controversy surrounding Graciela's decision to include the Spanish language in this book depicting a military service member in uniform. Hope you'll join us.

Book Description
Good Night Captain Mama written by Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, illustrated by Linda Lens
Publisher: Gracefully Global Group, LLC.
Good Night Captain Mama is a bilingual picture book of approximately 850 words, created for children between the ages of three and eight. The main character is a young boy in pajamas. As he passes by his mother's bedroom, he sees her in her olive-green Air Force-issued flight suit. The child is curious about the colorful patches on the uniform and asks questions as he pulls each one off. His mother's answers teach him, and young children everywhere, why women serve in uniform too.
Sales of this book benefit Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE), a training program operated by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, whose mission is to educate and mentor veteran women through entrepreneurship to pursue self-employment as a post-service career.

Website: http://www.captainmama.com/
Pre-Order this book Now: http://www.captainmama.com/index.php?page=prizes-for-preorders

Condor Book Tour
This post is an official stop during the Good Night Captain Mama Condor Book Tour. Support diversity in literature by "Liking" Condor Book Tours on Facebook.

This is a Pre-Order tour, anyone who buys the book now is saving between $5-$7 from the price when it is officially released, in the summer. Pre-ordering helps the small, independently and Latina run publishing company to print in the USA, distribute in an environmentally cleaner fashion and get enough momentum going for the book release.

The #L4LL Día Blog Hop

2013-04-19T22:24:00.003-04:00

Have you been following the #L4LL Día Blog Hop that was put together by Latinas for Latino Literature? It is such an AMAZING event that has resulted in 20 Latino authors and/or illustrators guest posting on the blogs of 20 Latina bloggers. Each day a different blog is hosting a different author/illustrator. You do NOT want to miss ANY of the beautiful and uplifting articles that these talented writers have written just for the blog hop to promote Latino children's literacy.

Here is the schedule, just in case you've missed any of them...

The #L4LL Día Blog Hop Schedule

April 10th - Pat Mora on Latinas4LatinoLit.org

11th - Alma Flor Ada on AllofMeNow.com
12th - Margarita Engle on TheWiseLatinaClub.com
13th - F. Isabel Campoy on AutismWonderland.com
14th - Joe Cepeda on MommyMaestra.com
15th - Lulu Delacre on ModernMami.com
16th - Jorge Argueta on SweetLifeBake.com
17th - René Colato-Laínez on Latinaish.com
18th - Amy Costales on MamisTimeOut.com
19th - Monica Brown on NewLatina.net
20th - Christina Rodriguez on GrowingUpBlackxican.com
21st - James Luna on DeSuMama.com
22nd - Brian Amador on MomsLA.com
23rd - Mara Price on MamaLatinaTips.com
24th - Jeff Zorilla on MulticulturalFamilia.com
25th - John Parra on MamiTalks.com
26th - Duncan Tonatiuh on SpanglishBaby.com
27th - René Saldaña on LivingMiVidaLoca.com
28th - Eric Gonzalez on UnknownMami.com
29th - Irania Patterson on TheDomesticBuzz.com

Latinas4LatinoLit.org is our new sister site. Actually, I am just one of the co-founders. You may remember me writing about it back in January. Though it has only been three months since that initial post, so many things have happened and our movement to promote Latino authors and illustrators while encouraging Latino literacy among adults and children alike has snowballed. Just in the last two and a half weeks, we've officially launched our site, announced & launched the blog hop, and announced our next Twitter party with the Pulitzer Prize winning author and activist, Junot Díaz. Needless to say, April has been busy.

But I want to encourage all of you to follow the blog hop and read these incredible articles. You'll be motivated to run out and buy some Latino children's literature just so you can sit with your child to read it together.

Un abrazo fuerte,

~Monica

Book of the Month: My Diary from Here to There

2013-04-03T22:28:00.001-04:00

My Diary from Here to There
by Amada Irma Pérez
illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

With immigration reform such a hot topic nationally, I wanted to share this book with you. If you haven't read it, you should. It has personalized the issue for my children in a way, that I'm not sure I could have done just by explaining what is being discussed on the news.

My Diary from Here to There is acutally based on the author's own true story. Pérez chronicles her own childhood experience of leaving her home in Ciudad Juárez after her father loses his job. To support the family, he decides to move them to California. But as he leaves to find work, Amada and her brothers and mother must stay with relatives. The book gives us an intimate look at Amada's thoughts and emotions, as she writes passages in her diary. It is immediately apparent that she enjoys a close and tender relationship with her father, who she thinks about daily, anxiously awaiting his letters while he is gone looking for work.

Gonzalez's illustrations are vibrant and active. You can see and feel the wind whipping Amada's hair back as they get in their car and drive away from home. And when she curls up under her blankets to write in her diary by flashlight, you can feel her soft socks and the warmth coming from her sleeping brother.

The book includes full text in both English and Spanish. It is best suited for children ages 4 and older.

I am really glad to see more and more Latino children's authors, sharing their own immigrations stories in books for children.What a valuable lesson they provide, helping to humanize an otherwise cold topic.

Parents and teachers, this is a great book to read when studying immigration, family relationships, leaving home, family responsibility, and more.

To purchase your own copy of My Diary from Here to There, you can find new and gently used copies here in our online bookshop.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz Wins PEN/Faulkner Award

2013-03-22T23:04:00.001-04:00

Photo by Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 3.0

Felicidades to Latino author, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the first Latino to ever win the PEN/Faulkner Award! Sáenz won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for his collection of short fiction Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, published by Cinco Puntos Press.

Sáenz also won this year's Pura Belpré Author Award for his Young Adult novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.The native New Mexican poet has written numerous books, including four young adult novels and four children's books...

Young-Adult Novels-

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood. Cinco Puntos Press. 2004.
He Forgot to Say Goodbye. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2008-06-17.
Last Night I Sang to the Monster, Cinco Puntos Press 2009
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012

Children's Books-

A Gift from Papa Diego. Bt Bound. 1999.
Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas. Illustrator Geronimo Garcia. Cinco Puntos Press. 2001.
A Perfect Season for Dreaming, Cinco Puntos Press 2008.
The Dog Who Loved Tortillas, Cinco Puntos Press 2009

Read more about Sáenz on LatinaLista.com.

Pelito: The Move, La mudanza

2013-03-08T22:35:00.003-05:00

Pelito: The Move, La mudanza
by Abraham Urias

There is a new Latino author on the market. Abraham Urias has not only written a new bilingual book for children, but he also illustrated it. Pelito: The Move, La mudanza is a fun book centered around the character, Pelito, his family, and friends. In this first book, Pelito's family is moving out of their grandparents' house and into their own home. For Pelito, the move is one big adventure. He is excited and quickly makes new friends in his new neighborhood.

I love how the story line reminds me of the days when we were young, playing outside, and loving our neighbors like family. Pelito and his friends find pleasure in simple pasttimes like riding bikes, singing silly songs to each other, playing at the beach, or just enjoying backyard barbeques.

The comic-like illustrations are fun and engaging. The book comes with full text in both English and Spanish. I did catch a few English grammar errors, but they are minor and do not detract from the story line. I hope, though, that the author checks future issues a little more carefully!

However, I think this series will take off and be enjoyed by children everywhere. The illustrations are engaging and fully of joy. In fact, all of the characters are smiling throughout the book. Abraham is a great storyteller and has done a good job of creating a lovable character.

To purchase your copy of Pelito, check out Amazon.com.

Constuir una carretera {GIVEAWAY}

2013-02-09T00:15:00.001-05:00

We've talked before about how there are very few bilingual and Spanish board books available to the general market. So we like to keep out eyes and ears open for new ones and when we find one, we get happy.

The latest board book from Candlewick Press is Construir una carretera, a book for little truck lovers. Originally written in English by Sally Sutton, we weren't able to find out who the translator is, but suffice it to say that this Spanish version of the book is translated very well.

This fun little board book describes the process of building a road from start to finish. The illustrations are colorful and full of action, complementing the text perfectly. Each double page focuses on a different aspect of building the road - and most of them feature big trucks and tractors, such as dump trucks and bulldozers.

The words follow the same three-line pattern, and young children will benefit from the repetition.

(Sample passage)

Cargas la terra. La tierra cargas.
Excavas, recoges, y apilas.
Dentro del camión la descargas.

¡Cataplum! ¡Plis, plas!

Volteas las piedras. Las piedras volteas.
Levantas, deslizas y lanzas.
Los cimientos de la carretera preparas.

¡Plin, plan! ¡Pim, pam!

This book is great for toddler and preschoolers who are building their vocabulary and learning pre-literacy skills. And it is sturdy enough for curious little fingers who sometimes drop things.

This title will be released this coming Tuesday, but you can pre-order it on Amazon.com.

THE GIVEAWAY

Candlewick Press has generously offered a copy of Construir una carretera for two (2) LBBC readers.

To enter, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Thursday, February 14th. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment! (If I have no way to contact you, I'll have to choose someone else!)

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1) Like the LBBC on Facebook.

2) Follow us on Twitter (@LatinMami) tweet the following: Enter to win a copy of Construit una carretera, new Spanish board book from LatinMami and @Candlewick #giveaway

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, though the giveaway is offered courtesy of Candlewick Press. I did, however, receive a sample of the book for the purposes of this review.

This giveaway is now closed.

Let's Play Football/ Juguemos al Fútbol

2013-02-05T23:58:00.001-05:00

Hola Blogueros, I am very happy to present my new bilingual picture book Let's Play Football/ Juguemos al Fútbol. As always, this book is also about my immigrant experience. When a group of friends invited me to play "futbol", I said "Okay, I can play." But when I saw the oval ball flying above my head, I realized that they were not playing my fútbol. They were playing football instead. The book will be available this March and there will be a Bilingual Edition and a Spanish Edition.

I will be signing the first copies at CABE (California Association for Bilingual Education) at Long Beach, CA on February 15th from 2:00-3:00 pm. Look for me at the Santillana U.S.A. booth.

Carlos is not sure that football can be played with an oval-shaped ball. Chris is not sure that it can be played with a round ball.

It may not be a good idea to play with a kid who is so different... He doesn’t even know how to play this game!

Wait. It looks kind of fun... Let’s give it a try!

Enjoy and celebrate the encounter of two cultures through their favorite sports. ;-)

Carlos no cree que se pueda jugar al fútbol con una pelota ovalada. Chris no cree que se pueda jugar con una pelota redonda.

Quizás no es buena idea jugar con un niño tan diferente... ¡Ni siquiera sabe cómo se juega!

Un momento. Se ve como divertido... ¡Vamos a probar!

Disfruta y celebra el encuentro de dos culturas a través de sus deportes favoritos. ;-)

saludos,

René Colato Laínez

The 2013 Pura Belpré Award Winners

2013-02-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to this year's Pura Belpré Award winners and honor book. Below is a list of the winners in case you'd like to look for them in your local library or book store.

But I am very disappointed to see such a short list compared to that of years past. Is it because fewer books were submitted/nominated, or because fewer books were published in the last year?

2013 Author Award Winner

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

2013 Illustrator Award Winner

Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert

illustrated by David Diaz

written by Gary D. Schmidt

2013 Author Honor Books

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano

by Sonia Manzano

Tamalitos: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem

2013-01-23T00:58:00.000-05:00

Written by Jorge Argueta

Illustrated by Domi

*A Junior Library Guild Selection

In his new cooking poem for young children, Jorge Argueta encourages more creativity and fun in the kitchen as he describes how to make tamalitos from corn masa and cheese, wrapped in cornhusks.

The book opens with an homage to corn — white, yellow, blue, purple, red and black — in Maya mythology the first men and women are even said to be made of corn. It has been an important food for people in Central America for centuries, and one of the most delicious things you can make using corn masa and husks are tamalitos, or little tamales.

In simple, poetic language, Argueta shows young cooks how to mix and knead the dough before dropping a spoonful into a cornhusk, wrapping it up and then steaming the little package. He once again makes cooking a full sensory experience, beating on a pot like a drum, dancing the corn dance, delighting in the smell of corn… And at the end, he suggests inviting the whole family to come and enjoy the delicious tamalitos “made of corn with love.”

Domi’s vivid paintings, featuring a sister and her little brother making tamalitos together, are a perfect accompaniment to the colorful text.

The author, Jorge Argueta, holding his Cooking Poem Series

Guacamole: Un poema para cocinar / A Cooking Poem

Guacamole originated in Mexico with the Aztecs and has long been popular in North America, especially in recent years due to the many health benefits of avocados. This version of the recipe is easy to make, calling for just avocados, limes, cilantro and salt. A little girl chef dons her apron, singing and dancing around the kitchen as she shows us what to do. Argueta’s gift in seeing beauty, magic and fun in everything around him makes this book a treasure — avocados are like green precious stones, salt falls like rain, cilantro looks like a little tree and the spoon that scoops the avocado from its skin is like an excavating tractor.

Arroz con leche/Rice Pudding: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem

Award-winning author Jorge Argueta treats young readers to a bilingual recipe/poem for the classic Latin American version of rice pudding with cinnamon. From sprinkling the rice into the pot to adding a waterfall of white milk followed by cinnamon sticks, salt stars, and sugar snow, Argueta’s recipe is both easy to follow and poetic. Lively illustrations by highly acclaimed Brazilian artist Fernando Vilela feature an enthusiastic young cook who finds no end of joy in making and then slurping up the rice pudding with his family. In Argueta’s world, cooking not only satisfies hunger with delicious food but also provides an opportunity for all the senses — and the imagination — to experience joy and fulfillment. This book is wonderful family fun for those who already love rice pudding as well as for those tasting it for the first time.

Sopa de frijoles/Bean Soup

For people who have left their homeland for a new country, comfort foods from home take on a huge emotional importance. This delightful poem teaches readers young and old how to make a heartwarming, tummy-filling black bean soup, from gathering the beans, onions, and garlic to taking little pebbles out of the beans to letting them simmer till the luscious smell indicates it’s time for supper. Jorge Argueta’s vivid poetic voice and Rafael Yockteng’s vibrant illustrations make preparing this healthy and delicious Latino favorite an exciting, almost magical experience.

January's Book of the Month: Jungle Tales

2013-01-21T21:03:00.002-05:00

Jungle Tales

by Horacio Quiroga

Translated by Jeff Zorrilla

Illustrations by Bert van Wilk

Cuentos de la selva was originally written by Horacio Quiroga, one of Latin America's most fascinating historical figures. The young adventurer wrote this selection of eight short stories after he fell in love with the wild Misiones region in northeastern Argentina when he was hired to be the official photographer for an expedition led by the famous poet, Leopoldo Lugones.

An instant success, Cuentos de la selva has inspired artists for almost a hundered years, and to this day this book is required reading for most elementary-aged children in Latin America.

Filmmaker and teacher, Jeff Zorrilla, became enthralled with Cuentos de la selva and was surprised to discover that there was no English version even though the work had been translated into over 10 different languages.

So Jeff worked together with Natalia Cortesi, a native Argentinian, to create a beautiful translation that best captures the spirit of Quiroga's original work.

The titles of the eight short stories are:

The Giant Tortoise
The Flamingos' Stockings
The Bald Parrot
The Alligator War
The Blind Doe
The Story of Two Coati Cubs and Two Man Cubs
The Yabebiri Ford
The Lazy Bee

My family loved reading these stories. My 8 year old actually got her hands on the book before the rest of us and read the stories. But she still listened quietly when I read aloud the stories to my family during a long car trip. Inside the pages of this book a tortoise saves the life of a man despite the risk to her own, jealous flamingos envy the dancing coral snakes at a party, and a coatimundi learns the danger that comes with being tamed. Each story was captivating and left us eager for the next one. The imaginative stories teach the reader a lesson, and remind me of Aesop's fables.

But what my husband and I loved best is that it is obvious that Quiroga had an intimate knowledge of the animals that he wrote about because the details matched our own experiences of the real animals so perfectly (we are former zookeepers).

The illustrations in the book are colorful and fun, and complement the stories nicely.

The only thing I didn't like too much was the binding, which is not sturdy enough for loving, little hands and is already showing signs of wear. I'd love to see the next printing available with a hardcover.

This edition is written in English only, though there are a few Spanish names of the animals included. However, there is a short, illustrated glossary in the back giving the reader more details about the different animals in the book.

NOTE: The cultural differences are very apparent in this book as several of the male characters in this book are described as "smoking a cigar." If you are uncomfortable with this, you may want to skip it. I, however, simply treated it head on and would say things like "It's too bad he survived that only to suffer lung cancer later!" Ha! But of course, I'm sure parents have their own way of dealing with these issues.

Follow Jungle Tales on Facebook for more information. To purchase your own copy of Jungle Tales, visit one of these locations:

Online:
www.etsy.com/shop/JungleTales

In New York:

La Casa Azul Bookstore
143 E. 103rd Street, East Harlem
www.lacasaazulbookstore.com
www.facebook.com/LaCasaAzulBookstore

Housing Works Bookstore Café
126 Crosby Street, SoHo
www.shophousingworks.com
www.facebook.com/HousingWorksBookstore

Mercer Street Books and Records
206 Mercer Street, Greenwich Village
http://mercerstreetbooks.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Mercer-Street-Books

St. Mark's Bookshop
31 Third Avenue, West Village
www.stmarksbookshop.com
www.facebook.com/pages/St-Marks-Bookshop

Bluestockings
172 Allen Street, Lower East Side
http://bluestockings.com
www.facebook.com/bluestockingsnyc

Desert Island
540 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg
www.desertislandbrooklyn.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Desert-Island

Fuego 718
249 Grand Street, Williamsburg
http://fuego718.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Fuego-718

Disclaimer: I pre-ordered this copy with a donation to their Kickstarter page. All opinions above are strictly my own.

Escucha Means Listen

2013-01-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

In keeping with our resolve to branch out and embrace the technology that is enveloping our world, today's review ventures into the realm of eBooks.

Escucha Means Listen is an eBook written by Talia Aikens-Nuñez and illustrated by Dina Ashraf Helmi.

This sweet, bilingual picture book introduces children to Spanish words through a lovely story about a young girl who goes outside to experience her world through sound. The poetic and repetitive style is easy for little ears to follow and makes the story that much more memorable.

I absolutely love how this book teaches children to listen...to los perros barking at the cat, and el trueno rumbling in the distance to los niños jumping in the puddles. It is a delightful journey into one of our senses that we often take for granted and forget to appreciate.

My own children are nature lovers, so this book really inspires them to slow down, be quiet, and listen to the beauty of the natural world outside our door.

This is Aikens-Nuñez's first book. I enjoyed the embedded Spanish text, but found the English words in parentheses a little distracting and unnecessary as the meaning is easily discerned from the context. I'd like to see a glossary in the back next time.

The illustrations are beautiful, colorful, and joyful. They complement the story well, and add richness. We couldn't help but smile as we read the book, and maybe your child will, too.

Best suited for for preschoolers and kindergartners, parents and teachers will find this the perfect book to accompany the study of the senses, nature, weather, and more.

This eBook is available in the following formats: PDF, ePub (Nook, iPad, Android), PRC (Kindle), and Mobi. You can purchase and download your copy from Musa Publishing and Amazon.

A New Year Begins for the Latin Baby Book Club

2013-01-12T00:12:00.001-05:00

Dear Readers,

Last year was a rough one for the LBBC as I tried to juggle both this site and our sister site, MommyMaestra, as well as several freelance jobs. All while homeschooling two children. I certainly owe René Colato Laínez a huge debt for his continued commitment to the site and regular postings.

To be quite honest, I was also a bit disappointed in how the number of Latino children's literature had dwindled. There are still several small, independent publishers who continue to do great work, supporting and publishing stories by Latino authors for Latino children. But the building momentum that we experienced a few years ago when I first started the LBBC has definitely lost its steam.

Last month, though, something happened that started a movement among Latina bloggers to do something about the lack of Latino kids' lit available to our children. The New York Times published this article about how young Latino students don't see themselves in books. And they're right.

Latino children's lit only accounts for 3% of the children's books published in this country. That tiny number is up from 1% when I first started this blog. You can read more about what my experience has been over the last several years with regards to this industry in my article on NBC Latino.

So as I said, the result has been a the start of a small movement by Latina bloggers to put pressure on publishers to invest in a variety of Hispanic authors to reflect the diversityof our cultures so that all our children can relate to the characters they see in books. Not all of our kids are Mexican, or Cuban, or Puerto Rican. But they ALL deserve the right to see their own experiences, their own faces, staring back at them from the pages of a book.

So Latinas for Latino (Children's) Literature has been born. You may have joined us for our first (and very successful!) Twitter party on December 18th where we were pleased to have Arte Público, author Gwendolyn Zepeda, and illustrator Christina Rodriguez join us as our special guests.

We have many more events and special projects in the works and would love for you to join us for each and every one.

But to begin, take a look at this article about why it's important for our kids to have access to these books. It's about more than just learning to read. And read the comments that other Latina moms have left regarding how easy it is for them to find these books.

Then take a look at our blog carnival where each of us wrote a response to the NY Times article. My response includes three things YOU can do to make a difference. At the bottom of the article are links to all the other Latina bloggers who responded with beautiful, thoughtful words.

So what does this mean for the LBBC?

Well, it means I'll be trying to refocus my energy here and share more books - both new and old - with you. I'll also be changing with the times and expanding my reviews to include eBooks. But I can't do it alone. I need help with book reviews and hope that if you have a book that you and/or your children just love, you'll consider writing up a short review and sharing it here with us.

There is still a possibility that the LBBC will be merged with our sister site, MommyMaestra.com. It would make the most sense, but I'm still struggling with that as I have a soft place in my heart for this little blog that has shared so many wonderful stories and has a life of its own. In the mean time, this site will be having some major housekeeping done. Lots of updates and remodeling. A new life for a new year, no?

You don't have to be a Latina mom to get involved. We welcome everyone - men, women, Latinos, and non-Latinos - to join us in our mission to get more Latino children's literature into the hands of our children.

Con mucho cariño,

~Monica

Bilingual Storytelling with René Colato Laínez

2012-12-19T01:49:00.004-05:00

Bilingual author René Colato Laínez arrived in the U.S. from El Salvador with few possessions, but many dreams for his future. During this program he will talk about his successful journey from his childhood as an immigrant lost in a strange new world, to his life as a teacher and a published author. His presentation is full of music, dreams, and roots, in English and Spanish—and is of course full of stories. Learn his three rules to success: never give up, study hard, and believe in yourself.

Colato Laínez is the Salvadoran award-winning author of I Am René, the Boy; Waiting for Papá; and many other books that feature Latin American children learning about cultural identity. His picture books have been finalists for the Tejas Star Book Award, given special recognition by the Paterson Prize, and earned the International Latino Book Award. He was named as one of the “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com.

When: Friday, December 21, 2012, 11 AM

Time Detail: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Dec. 21 - 23

Categories: Gallery Talks &Tours, Kids & Families, Webcasts & Webinars

Venue: Washington DC: American Indian Museum

Event Location: ImagiNATIONS Activity Center, 3rd Level

Webcast: nmai.si.edu…

Cost: Free

I Know the River Loves Me/ Yo sé que el río me ama

2012-12-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

The following excerpt is from our sister site, MommyMaestra.com.

I Know the River Loves Me/ Yo sé que el río me ama

by Maya Christina Gonzalez

Written and illustrated by award-winning artist, Maya Christina Gonzalez, I Know the River Loves Me/Yo sé que el río me ama embodies the need that children everywhere have to see their own faces reflected in the world around them.

I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Gonzalez talk at a conference several years ago, where she shared bits of her childhood and discussed how she never saw her own face in literature or Disney movies. Now as an adult, she has dedicated her time to creating pieces that show the beauty in diversity, and that reflect the faces of the audience for which they are written and illustrated.

Read more...

A Night Time Story/Cuento de noche

2012-12-06T23:42:00.001-05:00

The following excerpt is from our sister site, MommyMaestra.com.

A Night Time Story/Cuento de noche

by Roberto Aliaga

illustrated by Sonja Wimmer

The perfect bedtime tale, A Night Time Story is a beautifully illustrated work about how every evening, the Night comes to tuck a little child in before bed. In her hands, she carries dozens of stories and picks new and exciting ones to tell each time, allowing the child to drift off to sleep and dream. From sweet stories at the fairground to mysterious stories in the desert, this little child can enjoy an endless number of dreams and make them his or her own. Sonja Wimmer's illustrations are soft and whimsical, great for inspiring dreams in your own children. I love that the main character is drawn in such a way that it could be either a boy or a girl depending on who is reading the story.

Read more...

The Pumpkin Moon Empanadas

2012-12-06T23:36:00.000-05:00

The following excerpt is from our sister site, MommyMaestra.com.

The Pumpkin Moon Empanadas

written by Clementina Llanes
illustrated by Sarah D. Thomas

I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled when my friend, Clementina, who has the most delicious and amusing blog, told me that she has published her first children's book. Of course, I (politely) demanded a copy, eager to see Clementina's wonderful gift for storytelling channelled into a format specifically for children.

And I was not disappointed. The Pumpkin Moon Empanadas is a lovely tale about young Paloma, whose hard-working Papi loves her so much that he promises to bring her the moon. And then one day, he does! So Paloma and her Mamá get to work making the most delicious empanadas out of it that anyone has ever tasted...

Read more...

Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story

2012-12-06T23:28:00.002-05:00

The following excerpt is from our sister site, MommyMaestra.com.

Adelita

by Tomie dePaola

Adelita is not an especially old tale. One of my favorite children's book authors/illustrators, Tomie dePaola, wrote it in back in 2004. But I absolutely love the cultural spin on the traditional tale. Adelita, as I'm sure you can guess, is our Latina Cinderella and the heroine of our book. The story begins with the (short-lived!) love story of Adelita's parents, Adela y Francisco. But her mother dies shortly after she is born and Adelita is raised by her beloved papá and his trusted family maid, Experanza. Adelita, of course, grows up to be a beautiful young woman. But her happy childhood takes a turn for the worst when her father marries the selfish Señora Micaela de la Fortuna (who happens to have two ugly, vain daughters of her own).

Read more...

Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California- Second Annual Online ThanksGIVING Fundraising Drive

2012-11-11T00:50:00.001-05:00

Exerpt from ThanksGIVING Campaign press release:

Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California (RIFSoCal) – the 40-year-old Los Angeles organization that helped spark a nationwide reading revolution – kicks off its second annual online ThanksGIVING fundraising drive, scheduled to run from November 4-11, 2012.

The social media campaign offers free downloadable gifts from some of the region’s best-loved children’s book authors in exchange for tax-deductible donations of $10 or more to RIFSoCal. Every $10 donation made online at http://www.rifsocal.org or by, clicking associated social networking links, enables one underserved child in the Los Angeles area (preschool through third grade) to participate in a year of free RIFSoCal book distributions, including the ability to select three brand-new books of his/her choice to keep for building an at-home library.

Participating children’s authors offering downloadable gifts to campaign donors include: Sheri Fink (The Little Rose, The Little Gnome), Laura Marlowe (Tommy the Throwaway Dog, Roo B. Dee and the Lazy Day), Elle Febbo (What Love Is A-Z), Hayley Rose (Fifo the Bear books), Gladys Elizabeth Barbieri (Rubber Shoes: A Lesson in Gratitude), Alva Sachs (Circus Fever, I’m 5), Teresa de Grosbois (Jolo’s Two Bedrooms, The Presents’ Presents), Dennis Yang (The Tenth Floor, Where Did the Floufooze Go?), Mara Price (Grandma’s Chocolate, El Chocolate de Abuelita) and René Colato Lainez (The Tooth Fairy Meets El Raton Perez, I am René, the Boy).

“We’re thrilled to be partnering again with our friends in the L.A. children’s book author community,” says RIFSoCal Executive Director Carol Henault. “We appreciate their generous downloadable gifts, the joy they bring to young readers and their continued support as RIFSoCal makes strides toward achieving our $10,000 campaign fundraising goal.”

Founded in 1972, RIFSoCal has grown to become the largest program within the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) national organization. RIF, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the nation’s largest nonprofit children’s literacy organization, supporting the distribution of 15 million books annually in all 50 states through a combination of private donations and federal funding. A 501(c)3 organization with a Board of Directors, RIFSoCal will provide up to 300,000 new books for more than 100,000 children in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The program has received special recognition from RIF for operational excellence, cited as a model for running a successful multi-site program.

About RIFSoCal:
Since 1972, Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California (RIFSoCal) has improved literacy by helping children discover the magic of reading for fun. Using a network of 8,000+ volunteers at 300 sites throughout Greater Los Angeles, RIFSoCal annually provides up to 300,000 new, free books of choice, together with motivational reading activities, to build the home libraries of more than 100,000 children and their families.

A Sweet Song for Hispanic Heritage

2012-09-28T12:21:00.001-04:00

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month took me by surprise – I was still in back-to-school mode when I realized it was already the 15th of September! As I thought about what I wanted to do on Colorín Colorado in honor of Hispanic Heritage, I thought about all of the wonderful bilingual books that have been published over the past few years and all of the titles we had not yet added to the website.

I decided that I would update our Hispanic Heritage booklists in a big way this year – not just adding a few favorites, but adding a lot of favorites! So I started combing through catalogs, recommended reading lists, and the shelves of our public library to see what we were missing. (The librarians in Arlington County, VA were very patient with me as I checked out and returned stacks upon stacks of books at a time.)

The result is a whopping 25 – yes, 25! – new and updated booklists organized by topic. My hope is that the thematic organization will make it easier to use these books all year long, not just during the months of September and October.

I did a lot of reading for this project and enjoyed it thoroughly – there were so many gems along the way. One book, however, stands out, and that is a book published more than ten years ago, Grandma’s Records by Eric Velasquez (author and illustrator of the Pura Belpré award-winning sequel, Grandma’s Gift).

The story of a young boy visiting his grandmother in Spanish Harlem and listening with her to her old records, which bring back memories of the life she left behind in Puerto Rico, is quiet, yet profoundly stirring. Grandma plays the records in the apartment, dancing in the living room with her grandson and teaching him all about the music that fills her heart with love and longing. There is one song, however, that transports and transforms her; when the two of them see the song performed live at a concert in the city, the impact of the moment is breathtaking. It must have been for young Eric too, inspiring him to write about it all of these years later.

That, to me, is what celebrating your heritage is all about – remembering the moments and people who defined you, who helped you understand who you are, who instilled something important in you…even if you didn’t realize it at the time. That is the singular opportunity we have when we find a book like Grandma’s Records and read it with a young child. What a gift our authors and illlustrators give us when they share those moments with us in a beautiful book, inspiring a new generation of children to do the same.

Related Resources

Uno Dos Tres: My First Spanish Rhymes

2012-09-13T15:05:00.001-04:00

Uno Dos Tres

My First Spanish Rhymes

Selected by Yanitzia Canetti

Illustrated by Patrice Aggs

Last month, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books released a new book of Latin American rhymes for children. The collection of rhymes are assembled in eight educational themes: ¡A pasear! (Let's Travel!), ¡Al campo! (Let's Go to the Country!), ¡A la granja! (Let's Go to the Farm!), ¡A cover! (Let's Eat!), ¡A estudiar! (Let's Study!), ¡A jugar! (Let's Play!), ¡A casa! (Let's Go Home!), and ¡A dormir! (Let's Go to Sleep!). All the passages included in each section help teach children basic concepts. From counting to good manners to healthy habits, your kids will enjoy learning Spanish while listening to the CD included with the book. Bilingual families will also appreciate this collection of endearing songs to pass on to their children.

Written with full text in Spanish, there is a section in the back with notes in English about each passage. The notes include translations of some of the phrases, as well as explanations of each rhyme. In addition, Aggs’ beautiful illustrations also include Spanish labels to help older children who can read to recognize key words and increase their vocabulary.

My favorite? What else?

Mi escuelita, mi escuelita,
yo la quiero con amor
porque en ella, porque en ella
es que aprendo mi lección

You can find a new or gently used copy of Uno Dos Tres: My First Spanish Rhymes in our online store. Enjoy!

Papertigers Global Voice

2012-08-08T02:51:00.000-04:00

I was a global voice on the Papertigers Blog during the month of July.

PaperTigers Website highlights the world of young readers’ books. It features multicultural books in English from anywhere in the world, with a particular focus on the Pacific Rim and South Asia. In addition to interviews with authors and illustrators and a rich Illustrators’ Gallery, the website offers a wealth of articles, book reviews, reading lists, and many other book-related resources.

The blog also provides news and views on multicultural and international books, and world literacy; recommended readalouds; a monthly calendar of children’s literature events, and more.

I wrote about my life during the war in El Salvador, my life as an immigrant in the United States and my recent trip to El Salvador. Here is a peek of my three posts. To read the entire posts visit http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/

PART 1

When I was a child in El Salvador, I went to school, recited poetry, played with my friends and won a hula-hoop contest on national television. I might say that I had a normal childhood. But then, everything was upside down. For many days the school closed because of civil revolts. The radio and the television always talked about the army, guerrillas and the revolution in the country. The mad game came to El Salvador. The country was involved in a terrible civil war.

Read more at
http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/papertigers-global-voices-rene-colato-lainez-usael-salvador/

PART 2

For Christmas of 1984, my mother sent me a new pair of shoes from the United States. I still remember my father’s words, “These are good gringos shoes. These are very good shoes for the trip to the United States.”

On February 17 1985, my father and I left El Salvador. Two days later, we arrived in Mexico City. Then, we were stuck in Mexico City for almost two months. We could not continue our journey because Mexican immigration took all the money from my father. It wasn’t until April that my mother sent us more money for our trip. During my journey, my father and I crossed three countries and climbed the mountains from Tijuana to the United States. But we made it to Los Angeles. My shoes were not new anymore. They had holes everywhere. One shoe was missing the sole.

Read more at
http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/papertigers-global-voices-rene-colato-lainez-usael-salvador-part-2/

PART 3

In the winter of 2010, I received a call from Salvadoran children’s book author Jorge Argueta. He and his wife Holly Ayala were organizing a children’s poetry festival in El Salvador and he was inviting me to present at the festival. For one reason or another, I had not gone back to El Salvador since my father and I had left the country and moved to the USA. I did my math: 2010 – 1985= 25. Twenty-five years away from El Salvador! It was time to go back. I was returning to my homeland as a teacher and as an author.

Read more at
http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/papertigers-global-voices-rene-colato-lainez-usael-salvador-part-3/

saludos,

René Colato Laínez
www.renecolatolainez.com