As author of “An Honest Boy, Un hombre sincero” — the only children’s book on the life of Cuban legend José Martí — Magdalena Zenaida evokes a sense of cultural pride by embracing biculturalism. We sat down with her to chat about bilingualism, raising proud, bicultural identities and what José Martí means to her.

How do we interest our children in bilingual literature and why should we?  

I think a great way to interest children in bilingual literature is to look at it from the same perspective we do literature in a single language. What I mean is that I prefer introducing language as a function of the story rather than the other way around. Children are drawn to stories more than dictionary-style translations. I think learning a story they love brings a language to life the way memorizing a song does.

For me, I thought it was important to write “an honest boy, un hombre sincero” with the Spanish poetry interspersed throughout the story with translations of the poetry to follow. This was partly to showcase Martí’s poetry and how it fit into the lyrics of Guantanamera, but also to reflect the way I think a lot of bilingual children interact with language at home.

How do we make language learning and history fun?  

I think language and history learning are always at their best when there is a cultural context around the subject and how it relates to the child. One of the great things about Martí was that he recognized how important it was for Latin American, and all children, to have the base of knowledge about ancient Western civilization that was popular at the time, but he saw it as only a starting point. He thought that the internal pride and development that could come from knowing the legends and roots of one’s own land would create greater ways of thinking and connecting with each other. That’s why in this really simple way, I like the idea of talking about Martí, who was a complex political thinker, and connecting him to children who might know about Pitbull’s Guantanamera, or parents who listen to Celia Cruz’s, or grandparents who experienced Martí’s same feelings of exile. It’s a way of connecting.

How does the history of Latin America influence our children’s future across the United States?

This is a complex question with so many answers. I would say that most parents tell me they are interested in teaching their children Spanish because “x” percentage of the country will speak Spanish one day. But I think that really separates language as a skill the way someone would learn a math formula, rather than seeing it as a living language, a part of a growing culture. Latin America is still a place of amazing natural resources and the United States is still, despite its difficulties, a place of professional opportunities. I think Martí was very forward thinking in seeing that these two things were interdependent instead of a one-way relationship, that it wasn’t a producer-consumer relationship even in the early 20th century that would benefit all people. I think the more children are exposed to culture and history of those surrounding them, it breeds a caring about their environment and those further afield and how those things can be integrated.

{Image courtesy of Vanessa Bell}

For many families, the summer months are revered as the most special of the year. Filled with days of leisure, vacation and adventure, the magic of summer has school-aged kids counting down the days until it arrives. The sun shines bright, the days are long and the pavement beckons for exploration.

As a child, I remember inhaling the fullness of summer freedom — staying up until the wee hours of the morning, waking up after lunch and riding my bike down to the shores of Southern California beaches to meet up with friends. Wearing shorts and a bikini top, and unfortunately not an ounce of sun block, it would take a week’s worth of summer vacation before my Cuban skin turned many shades darker. After the whole year without it, I began to hear the word prieta used within my family.

Honestly, I never even considered the word an insult. All my friends were white Americans — as the only Latina, I was by far among the darkest — and they all seemed to work hard for the tan that my olive skin achieved without effort. “You have the most beautiful skin color,” they would say. “You’re so lucky! You tan so easily!” I had never been hurt by my school-aged girlfriends. In fact, during those summer months, it was my primary goal to get as dark as I humanly could. Everyone looks better with a tan!

It wasn’t until I married my African American husband, had his children, and met other families like mine, that I became aware that basking in the sun of summer months was ingrained with a fear of becoming prieto. Only recently have I understood the insult behind the word, pegged squarely on what happens if you embark on too many sun-filled adventures. Dare I allow my children to sink their toes in the sands of beaches, swim all day at the hotel’s pool or ride their bikes outside while the sun sits strong against their brown faces? The risk of becoming prieto is almost certain for my biracial and bicultural kids. And regardless of who it comes from, I refute any claim that keeps my children hidden from the joys of sunshine.

Latinos come in all shades, but we still revere the most light as beautiful. Why is that? Phrases like mejorando la raza bring question to the pride I have in my heritage and make me worried for the challenges my children will face as dark-skinned, bicultural Latinos. The summer months are meant to build family legacy — traditions and bonds, alike. I’m not afraid, nor ashamed, of our darkening, brown skin. But still, I wonder, do you believe there is insult in being called prieto?

Disney Home Entertainment is at it again with their adorable team of superhero dogs. Disney’s Super Buddies is sure to be a hit with your small kids. Packed with adventure, these furry friends band together to fight crime and learn some valuable lessons along the way.

My three year old daughter is obsessed with animals, so this family film was perfect for her. Being her first exposure to the Buddies franchise, she was equally enthralled by their speaking abilities and out-of-this-world cuteness. With a fun mix of suspense and positive messaging, I enjoyed watching Super Buddies with her too. Each dog has a personality that is personified from their owner, five friends who are fighting an alien invasion that threatens to take over Earth. An ordinary day at Fernfield Farms turns extraordinary when the talking puppies discover mysterious rings that grant them each a unique super power. The rings each grant them super powers that help the pups save the day, but not before learning a valuable – “You don’t need super powers to be a super hero!”.

Super Buddies is released August 27 and is voiced by some veteran talents. The ‘Buddies’ voices include Cooper Roth Grader”)  who voices B-Dawg; Tenzing Trainor (TV’s “Stevie TV” ) who voices Buddha; Jeremy Shinder (TV’s “Louie,” “Newlyweeds”) who voices Budderball; Ty Panitz (“Because I Said So,” “How To Eat Fried Worms”) who voices Mudbud; and G. Hannelius (TV’s “Good Luck Charlie,” TV’s “Sonny With A Chance”) who voices Rosebud.

“Disney’s beloved and adorable ‘Buddies’ are back in a hilarious all-new movie for the whole family — ‘SUPER BUDDIES’ debuts August 27, 2013, on Bluray Combo Pack and DVD.  An action-packed canine adventure, ‘Super Buddies’ stars the world’s most adorable talking puppies – Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud, as caped crusaders em’barking’ on their biggest adventure ever.”

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Disney’s Super Buddies to FIVE lucky winners! All you have to do is leave us a comment letting us know who you’d like to share this movie with. The, enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer is ending, kids are going back to school, but Disney Home Entertainment has some exciting releases for Fall 2013 that will sure brighten your day, including a favorite Disney movie released from The Vault for the first time: The Little Mermaid!

The Little Mermaid Diamond Edition splashes its ways into homes for the very first time in Blu-ray™ Hi-Def on October 1, 2013 with new breathtaking picture and sound restoration

“Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), is a free-spirited mermaid, who is off on the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend, the adorable Flounder (voiced by Jason Marin), and the reggae-singing Caribbean crab Sebastian (voiced by Samuel E. Wright) at her side. But it will take all of her courage and determination to make her dreams come true—and save her father’s beloved kingdom from the sneaky sea witch Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll).”

Grammy®-nominated music superstar Carly Rae Jepsen (of hit fame “Call Me Maybe”) recorded a new version of The Little Mermaid’s beloved song “Part of Your World,” which will appear as a music video on the upcoming Diamond Edition Blu-ray™ Combo Pack releases. I was able to preview the music video and it was a delightfully modern twist on a classic of my generation.

Disney’s Super Buddies will sure to be a hit with your small kids. Packed with adventure, these furry friends band together to fight crime and learn some valuable lessons along the way.

“Disney’s beloved and adorable ‘Buddies’ are back in a hilarious all-new movie for the whole family — ‘SUPER BUDDIES’ debuts August 27, 2013, on Bluray Combo Pack and DVD.  An action-packed canine adventure, ‘Super Buddies’ stars the world’s most adorable talking puppies – Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud, as caped crusaders em’barking’ on their biggest adventure ever.”

The Giveaway

We are giving away one Disney Home Entertainment prize pack which includes the seven DVD’s pictured above! All you have to do is leave us a comment telling us who you’d like to share these DVD’s with. Then, enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It was a full day of behind the scenes touring and interviewing earlier this summer, but Disney Planes is now in theaters (catch my full review!) and you can make sure to stay in flight with their newest video game offering.

With the movie sure to impress the kids, you can keep the enjoyment going with Dusty’s high flying adventures as a racer. Loved Dusty, but want to check out the scene through another character’s eyes? Pick any of the ten available characters through the console, some even voiced by the original cast of the movie!

Disney Planes Video Game

From above the world of “Cars,” “Disney’s Planes” video game takes players on a high-flying, action-packed, fun-filled adventure with Dusty, a speed-loving crop duster, voiced by actor and comedian Dane Cook. Take to the skies and continue the storyline beyond the film with Dusty and other characters from the film, including Ishani, voiced by actress Priyanka Chopra; Echo, voiced by actor Anthony Edwards; and Bravo, voiced by actor Val Kilmer, as they embark on global missions, air races and grand adventures around the world. Exclusively on Nintendo consoles.

Available On: Nintendo 3DS™, Nintendo DS™, PC, Wii U™, Wii™

Some of the console game features are:

• Play as any 1 of the 10 characters from the movie
• Choose from the 10 breathtaking scenes right from the film
• 4 exciting modes of play: Air Rallies Story, Free Flight and Balloon Popping Fun!! 
• Play alone or with a friend – Choose your character in single player mode or drop-in and drop-out play with any of the characters featured in the games

Disney Planes the video game can be found at Target, Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, and many more retailers. Disney Planes the video game is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB and is available only for Nintendo platforms. The suggested retailer price is $49.99 on Wii U, $39.99 on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii and $29.99 for Nintendo DS. You can get more information about the video game by visiting the Disney Planes Video Game website.

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one Disney Planes video game on Wii U™ to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave us a copy letting us know who you’d like to share this game with and then enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disney’s “Planes” is out in theaters, and if you got caught my movie review, you’ll know one of my favorite characters is definitely El Chupacabra. Carlos Alazraqui is the voice that brings El Chu to life, and with a personality that rivals his character, interviewing him was as easy as pulling up to Taco Tuesday with a best friend. He makes you laugh, he makes you cry, but be warned – when he is mad, he is likely to “swish my cape at you!”

You may not recognize his name or face, but his voice is one you’ll recognize. As the voice for characters such as Rocko on Rocko’s Modern Life, Felipe from Handy Manny, King Magnus from Sophia the First, Deputy James Garcia from Reno 911 and Walden from Wow Wow Wubzy, you are sure to have heard his impressive talents on screen. Carlos spoke to us about his favorite qualities of his “Planes” character, “El Chu has valor and passion and is el luchador! He has vulnerability; everything you want in character.”

But truly, it was this Hollywood actor’s candid remarks about playing a Latino character in a Disney filmed that sparked a great conversation on bi-cultural life. “I don’t recall a prominent Latino character has been in one [Disney film], so it’s kind of a privilege. Also, because, he’s a good guy. He’s not a villain”.

As the child of Argentinian parents, Carlos grew up as a typical Southern California kid. Now, as a father himself, Carlos spoke openly about the difficulties raising his two year old daughter to be “more bilingual than me”. And while Carlos says he is not totally bilingual, I thoroughly enjoyed our Spanglish conversation.

Having the chance to meet Carlos Alazraqui and learn a bit about how the voice of El Chu developed was such a treat. If you have seen Planes already, did you enjoy the character as played by Carlos Alazraqui?

Disney “Planes” is in theaters now! To learn more, like Disney’s PLANES on Facebook. Follow Disney’s PLANES on Twitter @DisneyPictures and visit the Planes website.

Disney’s “Planes” is now in theaters nationwide! I was fortunate to learn some behind the scenes information representing SpanglishBaby at the DisneyToon Studios, even interviewing  Teri Hatcher (voice of Dottie) and the film’s Director and Producer too. It was an awesome experience, especially since this Disney film is extremely special.

Main character, Dusty, is but a simple crop duster from the farm town of Propwash Junction, USA. Together with the support of his best friend Chug and over-protective mechanic Dottie, Dusty dreams of “being something more than what I was built for” and works diligently everyday to achieve those goals. I loved all the scenes of Dusty practicing – flying the same track of corn fields and water tower everyday without complaint – messaging many parents will appreciate. In a world where hard work can sometimes go unnoticed, we watched as Dusty’s dreams became a passion and, ultimately, a huge success as he conquers his ultimate fear – his fear of heights!

I can hardly get around writing about the joy of hearing a Spanish accent and depiction of a Mexican plane in this new Disney film. Voiced by the amazing Carlos Alazraqui, movie watchers are introduced to the indoor racing champion of the world, El Chupacabra. I can’t deny feeling akin to El Chu’s warm and loyal qualities. He becomes a good friend to Dusty, while bringing humor to the film with his grand declarations – “… I swish my cape at you!”.

In addition to Dusty and El Chu, “Planes” lights up the sky with planes from all over world, giving this Disney movie a distinct multi-cultural perspective. Ishani is from India, Bulldog is from Great Britain, and Rochelle, who is “localized” in 8 different countries, is a French Canadian. As the characters fly through new terrain of countries not often depicted to our children. In fact, the scene when Dusty and Ishani go flying by the Taj Mahal is one the favorites of Director, Klay Harris as the sheer beauty of the imagery is undeniable. The race around the world truly brings in new imagery, voices and cultures from the high vantage points of planes. And the moment when Dusty’s friends from around the world come together to his aid is truly one of camaraderie and partnership. The scene of Dusty’s near demise turned out pour of support is a true Disney moment filled with hope and optimism; one that makes us hope that maybe our world is a better place than given credit for.

To learn more, like Disney’s PLANES on Facebook. Follow Disney’s PLANES on Twitter @DisneyPictures and visit the Planes website. 

The Giveaway!

Sweeten the deal and enjoy a smoothie while soaring through “Planes”. We are giving away a $50 Jamba Juice gift card for you to enjoy with your niños before watching Planes! All you have to do is leave us a comment telling is what you are looking forward to the most in Disney’s new Planes movie and enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One the endearing characters of the film is Dottie the mechanic, voiced by Teri Hatcher. Unfortunately, Teri was not feeling well (she was really sick!) and was not able to attend with us in person. However, she graciously phoned in for a conference call to answer all our questions on her experience voicing Dottie, her thoughts on “Planes” and even a little but about motherhood. Here are some of my favorite parts of this hour long conversation with Teri Hatcher, voice of Dottie the mechanic…

How is it playing an animated character versus an actress in a movie or on TV?

Teri: Having done a few of them now, and then a little bit of a range of voice characters in different projects, you know, I think initially, when you sort of imagine or fantasize about getting to be a part of a big Disney movie- at least as I did in, in my acting career before I had the opportunity- you kinda think you’re gonna end up doing some sort of cartoony, you know, squirrel voice or something, and which is really fun and would be fun to do. I think, for this character- for Dottie, you know, I’m being as authentic and trying to be as persuasive, and as empathetic, and listening, and just feeling from the emotions all the same sorts of traits in a character that I would have if you were filming my face and my body. The sort of divergence, I guess, is that I get to show up not in hair and makeup; not worrying about any physicality, and really just, you know, relaxing into my voice, and and just trying to tell the story through my voice.

Can you share with us your favorite part of “Planes”?

Teri: So I love [it] all, everything in it, but I think, my favorite scene for me of, for my character and what just makes me makes me laugh remembering the journey of filming it was the scene where Dottie is first telling him that he can’t he can’t fly, and then she just sort of does this demonstration of what’s gonna happen to him if he doesn’t fly. You know, he’s gonna go to the ground and smash all the kids in the orphanage.  It just, it makes me laugh and when I watch it with a group of people, everybody laughs, and so I guess that’s one of my favorites.

What was your daughter’s reaction to hearing that you were doing this role?

Teri: Oh, her first reaction is, I wanna be a voice animator! It’s a pretty fun job, I’ve gotta say. I also did all the mom voices in Coraline, and so I guess that was really my daughter’s first exposure to seeing her mom, or hearing her mom put a personality behind the image of a character. She’s just proud of everything I do.

What was it like being offered a Disney film?

Teri: Getting offered a Disney movie, one of your first thoughts is thinking, my child is going to love this, or my grandchild is going to love this. Or even my great grandchild when I am long gone is going to love this.  That is the quality that Disney offers.  I feel like kids even 50 years from now will still be entertained by Planes with their families.  That is pretty fun!  Voicing Dottie is a great way to be a little part of a movie that is going to bring joy to families all over the world.

The world of “Planes” is soaring above us and is scheduled to land on August 9th. During my Behind the Scenes visit at DisneyToon Studios, I got to catch up with two people that helped bring it all together: Director Klay Hall and Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn. While I sincerely enjoyed screening the film and am excited to take my daughter to see it again, meeting these two film makers was definitely the highlight of #DisneyPlanesEvent. Little did I know that, as they welcomed our group to the pre-screening of the film, we were the first viewing of the final cut of Planes. How crazy is that! Later, Planes Director admitted that having “fresh eyes” on the finished film was kind of “nauseating”. That vulnerability is what, I think, makes this Disney movie extra special.

Meeting Disney Planes Director and Producer

The making of Planes took Disney a whopping four years, but Director Klay Hall has had a lifetime of appreciating the mechanics and beauty of them. Although he prefers trains best, being the son of a Navy pilot and having spent hours at airshows as a child, Klay Hall knows his way around a plane. To fully appreciate the experience that main character Dusty encounters in the film, Director Klay Harris and Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn were flown out to the USS Carl Vinson where they were able to spend a couple of days with the men and women onboard. These filmmakers made every effort to ensure the movie retained authenticity to the experiences portrayed. It was a joy chatting with these two, as their enthusiasm and love for the project was evident.

Disney Planes Embraces Global Perspectives

With her soft spoken nature and henna covered wings, Indian plane Ishani was an instant favorite of mine. Planes’ main character, Dusty, was also quite smitten with her. Of course, I can’t wait to introduce SpanglishBaby readers to the wildly hilarious and equally charming, El Chupacabra – Dusty’s friend from Acapulco, Mexico. I have to admit, hearing his familiar accent with glimpses of Spanglish in a Disney film brought up many emotions. Hopefully characters like El Chu will continue to pop up on mainstream Disney films in the future!

However, what impressed me the most in our conversation with Planes filmmakers was their effort to “localize” Rochelle, the French- Canadian Plane (and El Chu’s romantic pursuit). This effort is the first of its kind for Disney studios, and one that I am excited to see done more of in future movies. Director Klay Harris explained the character of Rochelle was chosen because, although she is important to the storyline, her impact isn’t crucial to the outcome of movie. Filmmakers thought her character was perfect to “localize”, by changing her appearance and voice according to which country the film was being shown in. The concept of changing Rochelle’s colors is called “reskin” and well-known, local actresses were casted to voice her part. Rochelle will be “localized” in 8 different countries and I can’t wait to see the many versions of her!

My full review of Planes will be coming soon. I can’t wait to share more about this fun new Disney film! In the meantime, to learn more about the August 9th release of Disney’s Planes by liking Disney Planes on Facebook or by following on Twitter.

Disney’s new animated film “PLANES” is landing into theaters on August 9th, but SpanglishBaby readers get a first look at a behind the scenes making of the world above “Cars.” Disney invited us into their DisneyToon Studios for a full day of learning and to experience how our favorite films are made. We also got to preview the movie, which will surely be a family favorite! It was definitely one of mine. Not to worry, complete review will be coming soon!

If you’ve ever had a chance to visit the DisneyToon Studios, you were likely as in awe as I was. Right now, the entire lobby is decorated to resemble a landing strip, with Dusty and his friends hanging out at the hanger. The walls are lined with artwork created by Disney artists from many years past. It was like a walk down memory lane!

After escorting us into a private movie theater to premiere the final cut of “Planes,” we were invited to learn how Disney Storyboard Artists bring the script of “Planes” to life through sketch drawings, that are eventually made into animation, but we’ll get to that later. Art Hernandez is one of the lucky guys that helps mold a Disney movies – from script to movie screen. Art explained to us how the storyboard process for Disney animated movies takes anywhere between 1 to 2 years and 40-50,000 story panels because they are essentially creating a template for all the departments to follow. The Story Artists are also responsible for pitching the sketches and “selling the scene” to directorsm, making their jobs instrumental in developing the characters we have all come to love.

While meeting with Art, I got the sense that he really loved his job and, after I asked him if he was like a kid in a candy store, he opened up to us a little bit about how he achieved all this success. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Art always knew he wanted to be an artist. He loved to draw and was grateful for the influences in his life that pushed him to succeed. When asked what his number one tip that moms can do to help their child’s passion for drawing and art? “Provide lots of encouragement, opportunity for practice and many different kinds of materials. You never know what art form you’ll love best until you try!”

After story boards have been walked through, voice overs have been recorded, it was time to begin animating the film. Ethan Hurd is the Assistant Animation Director, having worked on Disney movies since “Toy Story 2,” he was very kind and patient with all my questions. I must have asked him a dozen times how a character was created from rough drawing to the animated version we were looking at, but I still don’t understand! The amount of technical precision and art within the DisneyToon studios is mind boogling. Ethan uses a program called Autodesk MAYA 3D to fill out the movie’s animation. He explained to us how he first will go through a scene and create broad strokes of animation after which he would then concern himself with the subtle animation. As he explained, the subtle animation is crucial to emote feeling and to help viewers connect with a character. In “Planes,” he noted that this was especially difficult because, without arms or hands, Ethan only has the eyes/eyebrows of the planes to create a sentiment.

I can’t wait to share more about this fascinating experience at DisneyToon Studios and the upcoming PLANES film. As always, it was an honor to represent SpanglishBaby!

You can follow PLANES on Facebook or check them out on Twitter to recieve up to date information on the film, which will land into theatres on August 9th.