LBBC's End of Year Book Drive for Starr Readers

As the end of the year approaches, we at the LBBC are launching one last book drive in support of a wonderful program that shows true compassion and determination.

Starr Readers was created 5 years ago by flight attendant, Karen Furlong, who wanted to make a difference in the lives of some of the poorest children in the country. Located along the US/Mexico border, Starr County is home to many children living in colonias, where books are a luxury that take a backseat to food and clothing.

Since starting Starr Readers, Karen has personally loaded up her car and delivered thousands of books to the children and libraries of Rio Grande City. Over the years, companies like Barnes & Noble have supported Starr Readers by giving Karen a discount off of their children’s books. This year, Scholastic is showing their support as well. The LBBC applauds Karen’s commitment and selfless spirit.

Below you will find an article that appeared last month in the Dallas Morning News. And if you’d like to read more about Starr Readers, please visit their web site, http://www.starrreaders.com/ where you will find links to many other articles, interviews and letters of appreciation.

The Latin Baby Book Club has already proven to have some wonderfully generous readers, and so dear Amigos, we are asking you once again to open your hearts. Why not clear out some room on your family bookshelf in preparation for all the new and wonderful books your child will receive this holiday season? You can recycle these books and help Starr Readers at the same time. They are currently looking for donations for this year’s trip. You may donate gently used books by sending them to: Starr Readers/LBBC Book Drive, 3125 Damascus Way, Dallas, TX 75234. Karen will also accept monetary donations (no cash, please). Karen says that books that are sent to her will be donated to the elementary libraries and monetary donations will go towards a new, paperback for as many grades as the money will stretch.

The target age groups are Pre-K through 5th grade, and Karen is especially interested in books that are Pura Belpre Award winners.

Below you will also see a picture of the librarians from the Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent School District who have received donated books. Let’s continue to help them in their efforts to help children dream.

Farmers Branch book campaign helps South
Texas children write a new chapter

by Mercedes Olivera

Dallas Morning News, Oct 31st, 2009

It's a 10-hour drive, with only a couple of stops along the way for gas or to grab a bite.
But the no-frills journey to Rio Grande City in South Texas has become the highlight of the year every holiday season for Karen Furlong, a Farmers Branch resident.

This year, she will drive down the week before Christmas to deliver almost 4,000 books to some of the poorest children in the country – those living in the colonias in Starr County along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"There are lots of kids there who live in nice homes and go to private or parochial schools," said Furlong, a flight attendant for a private jet company. "But there are just so many who don't, whose families had hoped for something better for their kids."

As Furlong sees it, books can open up worlds to kids who need to know their lives can be different. Most of the families in the colonias live with no sewer service and little health care. Schools in the area are not among the best-funded in the state.

Furlong envisions the day when she can drive a bus down and hand-deliver books to the children.

"The goals are getting bigger," she said. "But the basic aim is to get children to love reading. We know now that if they're not reading by third grade, we may have lost them."

Her love of books is what motivated her to start her passionate mission five years ago, when she began raising funds and collecting new books from relatives, friends, co-workers and businesses. Along the way, she's also collected new donors and a new publisher.

With Scholastic as her partner, she'll be able to buy several thousand new books this year. Last year, she bought 600. That means 3,000 kids will each get a book, and nine elementary school libraries may end up getting 100 new hardcover books each, she said.

Among these will be a Laura Ingalls Wilder set of Little House books for each library and The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla for every fourth-grader.

She also hopes to buy children's books by Pura Belpré Award winners – outstanding Latino/Latina writers and illustrators whose work celebrates Latino culture.

The public can send donations to Starr Readers at 3125 Damascus Way, Dallas, TX 75234. Or check out http://www.starrreaders.com/.

Each year brings a greater number of supporters and bigger rewards, and Furlong takes another step toward becoming a nonprofit organization.

Every dollar donated goes toward book purchases, she said. She and her family pay for the gas and the cost of renting a vehicle.

It's worth it, in her eyes.

"I love the place," she said, having spent summers and holidays there with her grandparents.

"I know it's poor, and it's dusty. But those little towns along the border – they're a part of Texas, too."

Confetti: Poems for Children by Pat Mora

Confetti: Poems for Children, is beautifully written book by prolific author, Pat Mora. Thirteen bilingual poems fill this book, including Castanet Clicks, Mexican Magician, and Dancing Paper. Each free verse poem explodes with imaginative movement and color. The accompanying illustrations by artist Enrique O. Sanchez, complement the words by reflecting the essence of the words.

Written predominantly in English, there are Spanish words scattered throughout the text.

An excerpt from my favorite poem, "Abuelita’s Lap,"

"I know a place were I can sit
and hear a favorite beat,
her heart and cuentos from the past,
the rhythms honey-sweet."

An excellent book for older children exploring the Hispanic culture, it would also be useful for reading aloud to learn rhythm.

To pick up your copy, click here.

Fourth International Book Fair is This Weekend!

For those of you who live in or near the Dallas, TX area, this weekend is a wonderful opportunity for you to explore Latino literature during the Fourth International Book Fair being held at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.

Free and open to the public, the event will have around 40 national and international authors participating.

Families can enjoy artistic and cultural performances, multilingual story times, book signings, plays, music and children's activities. In addition, aspiring writers can benefit from one or more of the writing workshops.

Children’s book writers, including Lucía González (The Bossy Gallito, The Storyteller’s Candle) and Rosie Pova (Ladybug and Caterpillar: The Way to Friendship) will be in attendance, as well as a ton of other Latino authors.

For more information, or to download a schedule of the weekend’s programs, visit the Book Fair’s web site.

Review: ¿Cómo estás, pequeño Panda?

It's certainly a pleasure to be writing my first book review for the Latin Baby Book Club. I am not a Latin mami on the outside, but the Spanish language and the cultures of the peoples who speak it are a major part of my life as I've been studying the language for 19 years and teaching it for six. I had a baby girl, Zoe, last May, and we are doing the one-parent, one-language approach with her, so I only speak Spanish to her unless I want someone around me to understand what I'm saying. Accordingly, Zoe has more Spanish books than English and her favorite is the one I've chosen for my first review.



¿Cómo estas, pequeño Panda?, written by Marie Helene-Delval and illustrated by Thierry Courtin is part of the Palabras Menudas series of boardbooks and you can purchase it from Amazon here.
The point of the book is really to use phrases useful for telling how someone is doing. In the storyline, pequeño Panda has a nice red tricycle, but a strange little bear comes and takes it away. No worries, though--the bear's papi returns the tricycle so Panda can speed down an incline safely, very proud of himself.
Pequeño Panda has been Zoe's favorite from the very beginning. Part of what makes it such a good book for young babies is that the star is a panda, and of course black-and-white contrasts are what young babies see best. Zoe cannot stand being on her stomach, but by propping her on her support pillow and putting the open Panda book in front of her, we were able to get her to at least do a little tummy time. The page she's contemplating in this picture is her favorite page, I'm guessing because it has the most going on. This where the Papi gives the tricycle back to Panda.



And of course, sometimes you just need a break to chill and contemplate this new information.



I hope you and your baby enjoy ¿Cómo estás, pequeño Panda?

Find the differences

The Final cover of The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez is done!
Look at the final and tentative cover. What differences can you find?
Don't fotget to look for the book in March 2o1o.

Final Cover

Tentative Cover

October's BOM: Calavera Abecedario

Calavera Abecedario
A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book
By Jeanette Winter

The LBBC’s recommendation for November’s Libro del Mes, is Jeanette Winter’s Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book.

This fantastic little book is based on the true story of a Mexican family of artistas. Don Pedro spends the year making cartonería (papier-mâché objects) like skeletons for the fiesta of el Día de los Muertos. This is a family business involving everyone from his sons and grandsons to the cat! Each one helps him to create the life-size esqueletos using bamboo, papier-mâché and paint. The result is an imaginative and vibrant parade of skeletons to celebrate the holiday.

The beginning of the book is written primarily in English with Spanish words embedded throughout. However, the actual abecedario is in Spanish and the illustration accompanying each letter depicts the associated word. For example, "G [is for] Granjero, H… Huevera, I…Ilustradora," etc. This really is a great way to expand your vocabulary and introduce occupations. There is a glossary in the back, as well as an author’s note discussing the life of master cartonero, Don Pedro Linares, and the uses of papier-mâché during the many fiestas in Mexico.

Winter does an extraordinary job with the illustrations. Each page is colorful and captivating, and the costumes and accessories that each esqueleto uses are authentic, indicating that Winter is very familiar with the culture.

This books is an excellent read for supplementing lessons on Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos. It may also serve as a springboard for discussions of fiestas, art, and customs throughout Latin America. Family businesses are another possible topic for discussion, as is the importance of children helping their parents.

The LBBC has this and many other titles related to Día de los Muertos in our bookshop. If you would like to buy your own copy of Calavera Abecedario, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.

The Case of the Pen Gone Missing

If you're looking for a book geared more toward elementary school-aged children, I suggest you check out René Saldaña, Jr.'s The Case of the Pen Gone Missing. This short mystery, the first in a three-part series featuring fifth-grader, Mickey Rangel, a "Web-licensed" kid detective is published by Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press,

Even though it'll be several years before my toddler is able to enjoy this book, it was a nice treat for me. If you liked Nancy Drew, you'll know what I mean.

"I'm fascinated by detective stories, love watching the crime scene shows, both fictional and real on television, love reading crime novelists and think fondly still to this day of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books," Saldaña explained in an interview via email.

And that's exactly what I thought of when I read it. My earliest memories of checking out books from the library take me back to my bilingual elementary school in Perú, fourth grade and Nancy Drew. I remember devouring those mysteries and anxiously going back for more. Although I'm no longer that child, I remember those books fondly because the author was able to spark my curiosity so as to make me come back for more. I can see how Saldaña's writing would do the same for young readers. Not to mention the fact that Saldaña's portrayal of a fifth grader and his classmates is painstakingly accurate - including a "bully-type" character, a popular girl and all the emotions that go with having a crush on that "unattainable" girl.

One of the best things about this title is that Arte Público Press/Piñata Books has translated it into Spanish. All you have to do is flip the book around and voilà, you'll get la versión en español, front cover and all.

"The two languages meet in the middle, which I think is very cool because they've done away with the issue of which language takes precedence over the other (as happens with other translations: English and Spanish alternating from one page to the next, or the English version as the first half, Spanish the second)," according to Saldaña.

The author, who was raised in a bilingual community which means he spoke Spanish at home and English in school, thinks parents need to take a more active role in their children's reading and writing lives.

"It's not enough anymore to simply support them and to push them forward, regarding their educational careers. We have to learn what all we can be doing in the home to help them be successful," Saldaña said. "Reading aloud, for example, is not a thing just for teachers to do. We need to do it in the home for our children. And can you imagine how much better off our kids will be when we're reading aloud to them in one, two, or three languages?"

René Saldaña, Jr. is the author of The Whole Sky Full of Stars (Random House, 2007), The Jumping Tree (Delacorte, 2001), and Finding Our Way: Stories (Random House, 2003). He lives in Lubbock, Texas, where he teaches in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. Saldaña, and his Swedish wife, are raising their two children trilingual.

September's Giveaway: Jabón, jabón, jabón

Soap, Soap, Soap/Jabón, jabón, jabón by Elizabeth O. Dulemba is one of the latest titles recently released by Raven Tree Press. It is the bilingual, Latino version of an Appalachian Jack Tale. Set in a small town, it is the story of a young boy named Hugo who is on his way to the store to buy jabón for his mamá. Unfortunately, Hugo is a little bit of un travieso and has a propensity for trouble. So naturally, along the way he gets sidetracked by various incidents, which cause him to forget his mission. But his first mishap with a mud puddle, leaves him good and messy which helps to remind him what it is – Jabón, jabón, jabón! – that his mamá sent him to get.

Dulemba both wrote and illustrated the book, and the accompanying artwork is bright, joyful and expressive. The emotion that is conveyed on each character’s face helps to capture the essence of the text and supplements the story beautifully.

Jabón is written in English with embedded Spanish text and there is a glossary in the back. However, the story line is so well written that readers shouldn’t really need it. This picture book is great for children ages 4 – 8.

Parents will love Dulemba’s web site as well. It is full of resources, free downloads, coloring pages and activities for children. Here is the page dedicated to Jabón, jabón, jabón – it includes free wallpaper, coloring pages, recipes, and other activities related to the book.

Our Giveaway!

Win your own hardback copy of Soap, Soap, Soap/Jabón, jabón, jabón by Elizabeth O. Dulemba.

Simply leave us a comment by midnight EST on October 9th. Improve your chances of winning by joining our Facebook page, Tweeting about this giveaway, and subscribing to our feed.

¡Buenas suerte!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER-

Obviously my reply to Betty doesn't count, therefore, the winner of this giveaway is ohcupcake!

Just send me your mailing address [admin at latinbabyusa dot com], and we'll get this off to you.

And I'd like to say that I am so happy to be seeing so many moms trying to teach their kids Spanish, even when they aren't fluent themselves. The great thing about this is that both of you can learn a new language, have fun, increase your child's IQ, and have some great bonding moments all at the same time!

The LBBC and the State Fair of Texas

First of all, a quick apology for the sporadic postings lately. We are currently swamped at the State Fair of Texas where Latin Baby has a booth set up. Lots of new products are being debuted at the Fair and many of the titles that the LBBC carries are for sale there. So if you want to stop by and visit our booth, you can find us in the Mundo Latino exhibit inside the Hall of State. The fair runs Sept 25th through October 18th.

Tell us you are an avid fan of the LBBC and we'll give you an additional 10% discount off your entire purchase. Most of our products are already marked down for super "Fair Specials," so you'll be sitting pretty when you leave!

My First Book of Spanish Words

Around my house, Spanish dictionaries are a treasure. I have one sitting next to my desk and a few scattered here and there for emergency consultations.

Recently, I stumbled upon a new children’s Spanish dictionary at our local library. My First Book of Spanish Words by Katy R. Kudela is full of words in both English and Spanish. It is a nicely laid-out picture book style dictionary with themed photographs such as la familia, la cocina, el jardín and los colores. Items in each picture are then identified with a bubble that includes the word in both English and Spanish. The little bubble also contains a pronunciation guide below each Spanish word.

For the most part this book is engaging and visually stimulating, but the words and concepts presented in this dictionary may be too simple for more advanced children who have more experience with the language. However, it is perfect for families who are beginning their bilingual lessons.

I did find it funny that I was not familiar with some of the Spanish words used. For example, a "worm" is translated as "la lobriz" whereas I’ve always heard it referred to as "un gusano," and "computer" is called "la computadora," but I’ve always heard "el ordenador." (I think this last one, in particular, goes back to those crazy Spaniards refusing to let their language become bastardized by the assimilation of English words.) As has been discussed many a time by many a people (including mis amigas over at el Tiki Tiki and also at Spanglish Baby), the Spanish language reflects the diversity of our Latino cultures, so I have no problem substituting words that I am more familiar with when necessary. As my children grow older, I intend to point out other words that have the same meaning, but for now, to avoid confusion on MY part as their teacher, I like to use the words with which I am most familiar.

I think as parents trying to raise bilingual children, we should try not to get too caught up in the rules and become sticklers. Nuestros niños are paying close attention to us, so I think that the act of being bilingual should be a natural action on our part. Signs of struggle or awkwardness may lead to resistance on their part. What do you think?

At any rate, the LBBC has added a nice collection of children’s Spanish dictionaries to the store. Some are more in-depth than others, so depending on your child’s language level, you have several options to choose from. Check them out here.

Sundays on Fourth Street / Los domingos en la calle Cuatro

Written by Amy Costales
Illustrated by Elaine Jerome

Publisher: Arte Publico Press/ Piñata Books
ISBN 9781558855205
Category Picture Book
Published 30 Nov 2009
Bind Hardcover
Pages 32
Age Group 4-8

This bilingual picture book for children is a tender tribute to time spent with family

“My cousin Pepe combs my hair back just like his, and Aunt Pilar laughs. Then she slides her red lipstick across my lips, but Mamá wipes it off because I’m too young. Mamá puts on her new jeans, and Aunt Pilar polishes her high heels. Uncle Armando finishes washing his old car.” And then, a young girl and her family pile into the shiny car, grown-ups in the front, and kids in the back, and head to Fourth Street.

Sundays spent on Fourth Street are magical, family outings that three young cousins eagerly anticipate. Strolling down Fourth Street with their parents, the children encounter a bustling wonderland filled with music, food, and fun.

The cousins savor sharp bursts of flavor from mangos on a stick covered with lemon, chili and salt; delight in the sight of folk dancers spinning in the plaza; revel in rides and raffles at the church carnival; and yearn for clothes and toys they see in shop windows. While the children may not get the things that so often catch their attention, they can always look forward to more fun together next Sunday on Fourth Street.

Based on real-life visits to Fourth Street in Santa Ana, California, author Amy Costales has written a story that pays homage to a special street and—more importantly—time spent with loved ones. Paired with Elaine Jerome’s colorful illustrations that depict lively street scenes, readers of all ages will enjoy Sundays on Fourth Street.

AMY COSTALES is the author of three other bilingual picture books for children: Abuelita Full of Life / Abuelita llena de vida (Luna Rising, 2007), Hello Night / Hola noche (Luna Rising, 2007), winner of the International Latino Book Award, and Lupe Vargas and Her Super Best Friend / Lupe Vargas y su super mejor amiga (Luna Rising, 2006). She has taught Spanish all over the world and currently lives with her family in Eugene, Oregon.

ELAINE JEROME is the illustrator of The Woodcutter’s Gift / El regalo del leñador (Piñata Books, 2007). She studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and currently resides in northern California.