Every time I come across and/or find great bilingual or Spanish literature; I feel is my duty to share it with all of you. Some of the titles I am informing you on this post you may already be familiar with, but it is never a bad idea to refresh our memory and re-read them. Some are classics, while others are just too amazing to pass.

What I love about many of the books I am sharing with you in this post is that they are written in BOTH languages (Spanish and English). When I share these books with my class, and depending on time, I may read them in both languages. Children truly enjoy hearing these stories! Also, the language in some of these books is pretty ‘reader’ friendly. Therefore, whether you are a fluent bilingual or just starting, there is something for everyone. Did I mention that any of these books could make an amazing gift this holiday season?

One more thing, I am not actually offering a detailed review of each one of the books I am listing. I rather compiled a short, yet super list for you to access and refer when looking for books that take the holiday season a step closer to our hearts. But, let me assure you that the titles I am mentioning here will not disappoint.

1- My favorite (and here I am bias because I love dogs): The Dog Who Loved Tortillas (La Perrita que le encantaban las tortillas)

2- Who does not love The Gingerbread Man also known as El hombrecito de mazapán

3-The classic ¡Qué montón de tamales!

4- Arroz con Frijoles. Need I say more?

5- La piñata/The Piñata

Do you have any bilingual and/or Spanish holiday/celebration books that are your favorite? I would love to know. Don’t forget to leave the titles in the comments section.

Happy reading!

Kelly

Photo thanks to Mish Mish

Two little words leave much to the imagination in this great book! My two year old excitedly watched as the little girl and her dad go faster and faster, transforming into different animals and traveling through different habitats. For Enzo and I, it was an interactive experience. We talked about the pictures  we saw: “¡Qué animal es?”  “Va más rápido!” “¡Qué color es?”  etc. It is a great way to practice vocabulary and to introduce new vocabulary!

It also provides an opportunity to let the children learn about what animals go fast, go slow, fly in the air and swim in the sea. Kids and parents get to use their imaginations and describe the scenery, the animals, movements and sounds. It was so much fun watching Enzo’s face light up as we turned the pages. I was pleasantly surprised! Whoever knew two words could bring so much fun and unleash the imagination?

Book Details

Faster! Faster! ¡Más rápido! ¡Más rápido!

By Leslie Patricelli

Ages: 2-5

Candlewick Press US: $6.99

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Faster! Faster! ¡Más rápido! ¡Más rápido! to TWO lucky winners. All you have to do is leave us a comment letting us know why you think your child will enjoy this book and enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Editor’s note: We continue with our 31 Days of Reading in Spanish. Check out the book review below and don’t forget to enter our weekly GIVEAWAY of $100 worth of books in Spanish! This is the last week, so you have until July 31 to enter.

BOOK DESCRIPTION/REVIEW

Gloria Anzaldua, Chicana author and academic, wrote several books dealing with sensitive issues that arise from living on the Mexico/U.S. border. Friends from the Other Side/Amigos del otro lado is a book that lends itself to discussing a sensitive issue like undocumented immigration with children as young as 6 years old.

What I especially love about this book is that children are given the opportunity to talk about a delicate topic from the perspective of someone who may be going through what the main character is experiencing — the risks of being an undocumented immigrant.

Like other children’s books written by Anzaldua, Prietita Has a Friend (1991) Prietita y La Llorona (1996) & La fea (1958), this one is also a great way to expose children to the colorful ways bilinguals use multiple languages to communicate.

   BOOK DETAILS

   Title: Friends from the Other Side/Amigos  del otro lado.

   Author: Gloria Anzaldua

   Illustrator: Consuelo Mendez

   Ages: 6-10+

   Publisher/Year: Children’s Book Press/1995

   ISBN: 0-64234-130-0

   Price: $7.60 on Amazon.com

 

Editor’s note: We continue with our 31 Days of Reading in Spanish. Check out the book review below and don’t forget to enter our weekly GIVEAWAY of $100 worth of books in Spanish!

BOOK DESCRIPTION/REVIEW

Good Night Moon is an all-American classic. It was the first book I received as a present for my son, in English. It was the first book I read to him. Since it was in English, I would translate the words into Spanish as I went along… until I found this translation, which is a pretty great translation. I am so happy that this book is available in Spanish.

Buenas Noches Luna continues to be one of his favorite books. There is something about the rhythm of the words that makes it quite enjoyable, even lulling. Now that my son is older, I like asking him “Donde está la Luna?” or “Donde está la vaca?”  so he can point out the pictures. At the end of the book when it’s time to say “Buenas noches” to everything, I always add, “Buenas noches, Enzo” y “Buenas noches mama.”  This American classic should be a part of every SpanglishBaby’s library, en español, por supuesto.

     BOOK DETAILS

    Title:  Buenas Noches Luna

    Author: Margaret Wise Brown

    Illustrator: Clement Hurd

    Publisher:  Harper Collins Publishers     

    ISBN: 9780694016518

    Price:  $6.29 on Amazon.com

With few exceptions, I’ve never been a huge poetry fan — mostly because I wasn’t really exposed to poems growing up, other than the obligatory ones for school. But I love the beauty, repetition and rhythm in children’s poetry and how great they can be to explain certain concepts in simple terms.

To celebrate Children’s Poetry Day on March 21, I wanted to share some of our favorite bilingual children’s poetry books:

Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para Soñar Juntos by Francisco X. Alarcón — This was the first book of poetry I read to my daughter. I had the pleasure of interviewing award-winning Chicano poet Alarcón who told me that he writes poetry for children because “I believe poetry is a direct way to empower children, so that they can see themselves not just as ‘readers’ of poetry but as ‘creators’ of poetry”. Alcarcón has written several books of poetry for children; this particular one is perfect to explore dreams both literally and figuratively.

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! by Pat Mora — This series of haikus is perfect to teach little kids the colors and names of all kinds of yummy foods native to the Americas. It’s one of Santiago’s favorites! Although not fully bilingual, Spanish words are embedded in the English version and there’s a Spanish version of the book too.

Guacamole: un poema para cocinar/A cooking poem by Jorge Argueta — This is the third in a series of cooking poems written by Argueta and jus like it’s title says, it’s a poem to learn how to make delicious guacamole, one of my daughter’s favorite Mexican dishes.

Sol a Sol by Lori Marie Carlson — A collection of bilingual poems written and selected by Carlson. We found this in our local library and my kids were delighted by the poems, which basically tell the story of a family from when the sun rises to when the sun sets.

¡Muu, Moo! Rimas de animales/Animal Nursery Rhymes by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy — Another one of Santiago’s favorite, these traditional nursery rhymes from Latin America, Spain and the United States will probably bring back some memories of your own childhood. The collection also includes original poems by Ada an Campoy. A great baby shower gift!

And what better way to do that than through books! Some of the ones on this list are strictly about Valentine’s Day, while others are just about feelings and love in general. Find them, along with tons of other great ones, in La Tiendita. (FYI, the first one on the list is my FAVORITE children’s book about amor!)

Fonchito y la luna by Mario Vargas Llosa

El Día de San Valentín/Valentines for Vinnie by Greg Roza

Un día del amor by Sujatha Lalgudi

El Primer San Valentín de Clifford by Norman Bridwell

On Valentine’s Day/Día de San Valentín by Judith Mazzeo Zocchi

El ladrón de estrellas by Begoña Ibarrola

El dragón frío by Ana y Andrés Guerrero

Check out all the Valentine’s goodies we have for you here and our Valentine’s Pinterest board is really cute too!

There are a ton of things I miss about my birth country, but the food and the Pacific Ocean are probably the two I miss the most.

The only way for me to solve this is to travel back home, but since it’s been almost two years since our last trip there, I have to settle for the “encargos” my mom brings with her to Denver every time she goes back to Peru.

Through the years, the list hasn’t really changed much: alfajores, ají amarillo and Pisco. But ever since I became a mom, my list also includes children’s books in Spanish, chompas de alpaca (alpaca sweaters) and polos de algodón peruano (T-shirts made with Peruvian cotton), and most definitely the kind of Peruvian candy that reminds me of my childhood and that my kids have somehow learned to love too.

Vanessa’s favorite is Doña Pepa.

Santiago’s favorite is Cua Cua.

I love seeing them enjoying these candies of my childhood because it makes me feel closer to my beloved Peru. Same thing happens when I see them enjoy un buen plato de arroz con pollo or devour a triple — a Peruvian sandwich made with avocado, hard boiled eggs and tomatoes and one of Vanessa’s favorite dishes.

But I also feel like many of these “encargos” show my kids how important it is for me to continue to stay connected to my Peruvian heritage. I tell them how they won’t believe how warm their Alpaca sweaters will keep them (and after wearing hers during the bitter cold we experienced in Denver this weekend, Vanessa agrees); I tell them how Peruvian cotton is some of the softest in the world, which is one of the reasons why many clothing stores worldwide get their T-shirts done there; and thanks to some of the books my mom has brought back, I can teach them more about Peru’s traditions, culture and customs.

This time around, my kids favorite book was “Chimoc en Machu Picchu,” which belongs to a beautiful series written and illustrated by the very talented sisters Andrea and Claudia Paz. My kids have almost every book in the series and what I love the most about them is how they introduce Peruvian music, food, traditions and, this time around, one of the places my birth country is most well-known for: the unparalleled Machu Picchu. Plus, each book in the series comes with an audio CD which includes not only the story, but a series of songs specific to the story composed, written and performed by the Paz sisters and their brother. A real gem! (Sadly, I haven’t found the books in the U.S.)

What kind of things do you ask for from your home country?

An article published earlier this week in The New York Times titled “For Young Latino Readers, an Image Is Missing” has created a flurry of commentary about the dire need for more children’s books with which our Latino kids can identify. In other words, more children’s books with characters that look like them and with storylines that speak to them.

While I would love nothing more than to see all Latino authors been given the opportunity to be published, I’m having a hard time accepting that to boost reading skills among Latino children the characters in the books available to them need to look like them, as implied by the article.

First of all, what does a Latino child look like? I thought that the recent brouhaha with Disney’s Princess Sofia reminded us that Latinos come in all shades and colors. At least that’s what we were trying to prove when we asked you to share a photo of your princesa with us. If you visit our #LatinaPrincess Pinterest board, you’ll see that, in effect, our children come from all races, backgrounds and heritages. So, to say that there are not enough books out there for our Latino children to identify with is a lie because there are plenty of books with light-skinned, light-eyed, light-haired protagonists that look just like many Latino children I know — including Camila, Ana’s daughter.

Same thing goes for the Latino experience. What exactly is that? Well, it depends on whom you ask. My Puerto Rican husband’s Latino experience as an American citizen who grew up in La Isla del Encanto is nothing like my Latino experience as a Peruvian citizen who was raised in four countries in three continents before moving to the United States as a teenager. Nor is it anything like that of our own two children who were born and are being raised in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado. With that I’m trying to say that if my 6-year-old daughter reads a story about a Mexican-American child making tortillas with her abuelita, she won’t be able to relate to that at all because she’s not Mexican-American and her abuelita doesn’t even know how to boil water! That, however, doesn’t mean she won’t enjoy the book.

Secondly, whoever thinks children’s love of reading comes solely from whether or not they see themselves reflected in the books they’re reading is completely delusional. As a bookworm who grew up to be a journalist in part because of my love of reading, I can tell you first hand that one thing has very little to do with the other. Let me explain why. I fell in love with books at a very young age because I felt transported to other worlds without having to leave my room. Later on, my love of books continued growing when I saw myself in the characters I read about, not because they looked like me, but rather because I identified with their stories, their hardships, their triumphs. In the end, it’s not about the color of the characters’ skins or their ethnicities, but about the authenticity of their experiences.

Truth be told, though, most of what I’ve always enjoyed reading is stuff I don’t identify with at all. Stories that enrich me and open up my mind to possibilities I didn’t even know existed. Books that teach me about the world around me and expose me to experiences I would not be privy to otherwise.

Now, a lot of people would say I’m lucky — and even unusual — because I grew up in a household full of book lovers, and they’re probably right. I honestly don’t know one single person who loved to read more than my own father who had a book or some other reading material in his hands at all times. I know for a fact that my own love of reading and literary curiosity comes directly from him, which brings me to my next and final point.

While there should definitely be more children’s books written by Latino authors, we should be more worried about whether we’re leading by example when it comes to instilling a love of reading in our children and whether we’re exposing them to all kinds of literature — not just the kind with characters that look like them.

The reason why SpanglishBaby exists today is because more than four years ago, as we were looking for bilingual and Spanish children’s books for our daughters, we realized there weren’t a lot of options. Or those that existed weren’t readily available. We weren’t necessarily looking only for books with characters our children could relate to, but rather for quality bilingual and Spanish-language ones we could enjoy with our girls to help them in their bilingual journey.

While there are not a tons of those out there, we have made it our mission to go in search for them so we can share them with all of you. Hopefully, you can help us spread the word and children’s books by publishing houses like Cinco Puntos Press, Arte Público and Children’s Book Press (now an imprint of Lew & Low) can make kids’ bookshelves more diverse — regardless of their own background and ethnicity.

{Photo by cesarastudillo}

I was one of the lucky journalists to cover the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver when Barack Obama became the party’s first African-American nominee for President. I say I was lucky because I’ll never forget the feeling of hope I shared with the Latinos I was working with. There was a kind of magic in the air… as if anything was possible!

This is exactly the premise of Yanitzia Canetti’s book, I Can Be President, Too!/Yo También Puedo Ser Presidente. Each page features a photograph of a child explaining why he or she could be president. The best part is that each child looks different from the next. They’re different ages and races. Each boy and girl seems to represent a slice of  our diverse population. Their reasons for why you should vote for each of them includes stuff like: “Yo amo la paz” and “Yo cuido el planeta.”

I think the idea is for our children to see themselves in these photos and realize that anybody can be president. If anything, it’s a great way to start talking about this subject with your children.

Canetti wrote the book in both Spanish and English — no translations here. Besides being an award-winning author, Canetti is also responsible for the translation of more than 100 children’s book, including classics like Dr. Seuss, Berenstein Bears, Amelia Bedelia and Curious George. Yo También Puedo Ser Presidente is published by BrickHouse Education, an educational publisher with lots of Spanish and bilingual titles you should all check out, particularly if you’re homeschooling.

I don’t know if it’ll happen in my time, but it would be absolutely grandiose for our bicultural children if a Latino ever became president of this great country! Can you imagine what that would do for our children’s pride in their heritage?

THE GIVEAWAY!

We’re giving a way an autographed copy of Yo También Puedo Ser Presidente to one lucky winner. To enter please visit the BrickHouse Education website and come back here to tell us which books caught your attention.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to our feed via email or RSS and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

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This giveaway ends Sunday, February 6 at midnight EST and you must have a valid US address to enter.

Disclosure: We received a sample to review the product.  All opinions are our own.

Check out the Giveaway Rules.