Growing Up in a Multicultural Community

I grew up in New Mexico on a thousand-acre ranch. We bused 30 thirty miles to school in Cuba, New Mexico. The elementary school included Mexicans (they really were from Mexico back then), and Apache and Navajo who were bused 50-6- miles from their reservations. It was a multi-cultural school—before multicultural became a buzz word.

I remember the Navajo girls playing the game of jacks, throwing the red ball up and scooping up the required number of jacks. They beat us all! If you were allowed to play with them, it meant you were getting really good.

So, when I thought about translations of my children's books, I immediately went to Spanish as the first language to include.

My dad spoke Spanish—they called him “the little cowboy,” or “El pequeño vaquero. ¡Qué hombre!” My aunt and uncle ran a trading post on the Navajo reservation. Language around our house was peppered with multiple languages. My mother named her favorite caramel-colored horse, Miel, which means honey. Right now, I’m refreshing my Spanish with DuoLingo. Spanish translations feel normal to me. 

Cinco de Mayo celebration

The Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) isn’t Mexican Independence day as some think. Instead, it's the 1862 Battle of Puebla, a David-vs.-Goliath victory. But in the US, it’s become the traditional day to recognize, honor, and celebrate the Mexican culture. For children’s literature, it’s also a time to read books that celebrate language and representation of the Mexican (and Latino, in general) culture. ¡Viva México!

Español Books

So, today, we’re talking about our five Spanish translations. The books are translated by Mariana Llanos, winner of a Pura Belpre, the ALA award for Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in literature for children. Born in Peru, but now living in the US, she brought expertise in children’s literature to the translation process.

Here are our five translations
•    Nuestro plan para la casa jengibre (The Plan for the Gingerbread House) — STEM engineering + teamwork
•    Ricitos de Oro: La Chica Famosa (Goldilocks: The Name-Fame-Dame) — wordplay, fairy tale retelling, SEL
•    Grande (Greatest) –SEL, friendship, courage.
•    Quiero un Perro: Mi Opinion (I Want a Dog: My Opinion Essay)—language arts, writing essays, dogs/pets, family
•    Quierro un Gato: Mi Opinion (I Want a Cat: My Opinion Essay)—language arts, writing essays, dogs/pets, family

You can purchase the books separately as paperback, hardcover, audio (English only), and ebooks. Or, for your convenience, we have them bundled as 5 Spanish titles and 5 English titles. (Click the image for more information--also available in paperback.)

Perfect Books For These Readers
These are perfect for
•    Dual language homes
•    Heritage Spanish speakers
•    Kids learning Spanish

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!