The 2012 Pura Belpré Award Winners

Last month this year's winners of the Pura Belpré Award were announced. I am so excited that both the Author and the Illustrator Awards went to two excellent books reviewed on the LBBC last year, as was one of the Illustrator Honor Books. I am eager to read the other honor books and share them with my children. If you are looking for some good reading this month, take a look at these titles. (To read the LBBC reviews, click on the linked titles.)

2012 Author Award Winner

Under the Mesquite

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

2012 Illustrator Award Winner

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours

by Duncan Tonatiuh

2012 Author Honor Books

Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck

by Margarita Engle

Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel:

A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

by Xavier Garza

2012 Illustrator Honor Books 

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred

illustrated by Rafael López

written by Samantha R. Vamos

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match /Marisol McDonald no combina

illustrated by Sara Palacios

written by Monica Brown

Bilingual Reading- In English and español

Listen to María de la Luz Medina Pérez reading Braid/ Trencitas and René Has Two Last Names/ René tiene dos apellidos. Have fun, if you have the books, go get them!

Braids/Trencitas 

By Kathleen Contreras

Illustrated by Margaret Lindmark

This bilingual story shows the importance of family and of reading, while also emphasizing the rewards of passing along cultural traditions. Beautiful illustrations portray the moving story of Bela and her grandma, who love to tell stories, braid hair, and play lotería with the family: "Our stories, like our braids, bind us forever."

Listen/ Escucha

Braids

Trencitas

 René Has Two Last Names/René Tiene Dos Apellidos
    By René Colato Laínez

    Illustrated by Fabiola Graullera Ramírez

Young René is from El Salvador, and he doesn't understand why his name has to be different in the United States. When he writes Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, René and Amelia. When he writes Laínez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second last name, René feels incomplete, "like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese or a hot dog without a wiener."

This charming bilingual picture book for children ages 4 - 8 combines the winning team of author René Colato Laínez andillustrator Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, and follows their award-winning collaboration, I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño. With whimsical illustrations and entertaining text, this sequel is sure to please fans and gain many new ones while explaining an important Hispanic cultural tradition.

Listen/ Escucha

René Has Two Last Names

René tiene dos apellidos

The LBBC's Favorite Latino Children's Literature Reviewed in 2011

This past year, the LBBC reviewed a lot of great books for the Latino children's market. Here are our favorite books for 2011...

¡Olé! Flamenco

Photo-essayist, George Ancona, explores this passionate, colorful, and explosive Spanish dance.

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred

by Samantha R. Vamos

Illustrated by Rafael López

Written in the same rhyming format as that of “The House That Jack Built”, Cazuela gives this classic rhyme a bilingual twist.

Deigo Rivera, His World and Ours 

by David Diaz

A beautifully illustrated book that inspires the reader to think of how Diego’s art is relevant today.

Under the Mambo Moon

by Julia Durango

A unique story that explores various types of Latin American music - from Colombia’s cumbia to the Dominican merengue to the candombé of Uruguay. 

Under the Mesquite

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

 

 The moving story of Lupita, the oldest of 8 children in a close-knit familia, and her struggle to keep her family together while dealing with the emotional burden after her mother is diagnosed with cancer.

 

 

 

Dancing Home

by Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel Zubizarreta

 

The story of two cousins, Margie (Margarita) and Lupe, who are learning to embrace their cultures while fitting into a new one.

De Colores, Bright with Colors

Illustrated by David Diaz

A picture book based on the well-known folksong that was brought to the Americas by the Spaniards in the 16th century.

Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People

By Monica Brown

Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

A beautifully illustrated and written book that introduces children to the Chilean poet and to the concept of words as art.

Caramba! Kids™

A note from José-Luis Orozco


You are invited to visit my new website, Caramba! Kids™ (www.carambakids.com), an innovative bilingual educational web-based portal that delivers effective learning tools for pre-school and elementary school aged children.


Caramba! Kids™ includes bilingual music by me (José-Luis Orozco) and educational content co-developed with insight from award winning experts in animation, music, technology and early childhood development.


Caramba! Kids™ includes videos, songs and activities to teach skills to young kids that are crucial for their success in school. It includes user friendly activities directed to educators and parents to use along with the songs. Every activity has been carefully developed and are linked to the newly developed core standards.


To experience the very best in bilingual educational resources for children ages 8 and under, visit Caramba! Kids™ now!


Sincerely,


José-Luis Orozco

The 2nd Children's Poetry Festival Takes Place in El Salvador

On November 16 - 18, 2011, the 2nd Children's Poetry Festival was celebrated in San Salvador, El Salvador. Author Jorge Argueta was kind enough to share this beautiful video with us. It is a little tribute to this amazing festival...

¿Pavo para la Cena de Gracias? ¡No, gracias!

 ¿Pavo para la Cena de Gracias? ¡No, gracias!

by Alma Flor Ada

illustrated by Vivi Escrivá

One of the cutest Thanksgiving books I've read in a while, ¿Pavo para la Cena de Gracias? ¡No, gracias! is the story of a turkey who is worried about being Thanksgiving dinner after he overhears a conversation about how fat and tasty he will be! Fortunately, una araña, in a nearby tree takes it upon herself to figure out how to help him out of his predicament.

The back of the book contains tips for parents on how to discuss the book and relate it to the child's life. This book is a lovely companion book to the classic story, Charlotte's Web. Available in English and Spanish, it is best suited for children ages 4 to 8.

You can see some sample pages and listen to a portion of the book on Del Sol Book's website.

Fly, Fly Butterfly/ Vuela, vuela mariposa

Written by  Diego H. Pedreros Velásquez

A beautiful book has emerged...

Fly, Fly Butterfly/Vuela, vuela mariposa, winner of the 2011 Skipping Stones Nature Books Honor Award, is hailed as being an “exceptional contribution to multicultural and ecological awareness in children’s literature.”

The journey of the monarchs...

“The author uses the monarch as a metaphor for how we should face life, and connects the fate of monarchs to how humans affect the planet. Excellent photographs by the author of monarchs and wildlife around Goleta (California)... The design, layout and artwork in the book capture the sense of wonder and adventure of learning about new things through the eyes of both the child and her father. It’s clear that this book was a labor of love... Perhaps the book’s most unique feature is that it is bilingual.”  Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch.

For more information visit, http://www.forlymonarch.com/

November's Libro del Mes: Dancing Home

Dancing Home

By Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel Zubizarreta

What a joy it is to share with you this month’s LBBC Book of the Month! With all the current rhetoric on what it means to be American and English-only agendas, I found Dancing Home to be such a beautiful lesson with a reaffirming message for our bilingual and bicultural children.

Dancing Home is the story of two cousins, Margie (Margarita) and Lupe. Margie is an acculturated Latina student living in California. She was born in Texas, speaks English, and knows without a doubt that she is American...until her cousin, Lupe, from Mexico comes to live with them. Then Margie begins to question what exactly it means to be “American” and is surprised to discover that embracing another culture and language does not mean you have to abandon the first.

Lupe has arrived in the United States not knowing the language or the people, but she is determined to try her best and has hope that she can find happiness in her new life.  She finds her bilingual education class to be very different from her school back in Mexico, but in it Lupe discovers the tools she needs to succeed academically and socially.

The book does such a great job of destroying stereotypes and judging people based on the way they look or the language they speak.

I like how the story provides the point of view of both girls. At the beginning, Margie has very negative feelings about her Mexican heritage. She doesn’t like to talk about it and has gone to great lengths in order to assimilate into her school by rejecting anything that that reflects the culture.  She is embarrassed by her cousin who doesn’t speak any English and resents the changes at both home and school that Lupe seems to bring with her.

Lupe’s character does a great job of showing how difficult it is for a child – or any person, for that matter – to move to a different country where they don’t know the language.  But her courage and strength come from her love for her culture. And the book ends by showing how beautiful and fortunate these girls are to have both cultures in their lives.

This book is best suited for older children ages 7 and up. Teachers and parents: This is a great book for discussing the value of being bilingual and bicultural. Other topics include immigration, friendship, teasing, assimilation, and the Mexican culture.

If you would like to buy your own copy of Dancing Home, please click here. The book is available in English or Spanish. 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.

Libros del Mes: Trilingual Board Books From Little Pim

For all of you who are fans of the excellent foreign language learning company, Little Pim, you will be delighted to learn that they have recently released their first set of trilingual board books.

Written in English, Spanish, and French, their first two books are titled, Feelings and Colors. I find these books to be especially engaging as both of them are interactive with flaps and tabs that allow young readers to discover the visual and written concepts. My children giggled after pulling a tab to see the smiling face of another child peering back at them.

Feelings is about Little Pim, the panda, who is learning to express himself and share his emotions with others by learning how to say the words in Spanish and French. In Colors, the reader helps Little Pim find a rainbow assortment of balloons only to discover a surprise party at the end.

These board books are just a small sampling of a long line of quality products from Little Pim, which also includes flash cards, videos, and apps. You can learn more by visiting their site at LittlePim.com.

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Disclosure: These two board books were sent to me by Abrams Books.

My Handy Writing Book: A New, Fun & Easy Way to Write Stories

 Writers’ Groups &  Press of Ventura & Beyond
Amada Irma Pérez & Associates

PO. Box 3513

Ventura, CA 93006

Phone: 805-642-7940

www.amadairmaperez.com

contact:   Amada Irma Pérez

My Handy Writing Book: A New, Fun & Easy Way to Write Stories
$9.95  *   September 2011

Ventura, CA---How to write stories and narratives is something that students in all grades are expected to master, yet few methods are easy, enjoyable and unforgettable.  My Handy Writing Book: A New, Fun &  Easy Way to Write Stories makes the process of writing pure joy for children 6 and up, their parents and teachers.  Grandparents will also find it irresistible to share and write their own stories with their lucky grandchildren as they help to color the whimsical black and white illustrations and trace hands on the blank pages.  Families will create heirlooms to be enjoyed for generations.

Amada Irma Pérez is an award-winning author of many bilingual children’s books. She taught elementary and university classes for twenty-five years before becoming an author.  She plans to write many more multicultural books.  She lives in Ventura, California.

Lili Sosa is the owner and creative director of Lili Sosa Creative Studio. She has many years of experience in graphic design including illustration,  web sites, and marketing materials in Mexico and the U. S.  She lives in Ventura, California

Praise for Amada Irma Pérez’s
My Handy Writing Book:  A New, Fun & Easy Way to Write Stories

“Amada Irma Pérez is a captivating storyteller and educator...Amada knows how to make the complicated act of writing easy and available to all, and for this she should be given a President’s medal. -Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street and Caramelo

“...My Handy Writing Book is a must in schools, libraries and homes.” -Rene Colato Lainez, author of From North to South and The Tooth Fairy Meets el Raton Perez

www.amadairmaperez.com

REVIEW COPIES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Eric Carle's La araña muy ocupada

For those of you who have been wondering what sounds animals make in Spanish, check out the Spanish translation of Eric Carle's, La araña muy ocupada.

Translated by Nancy Mercado, the story is about a busy little spider who goes about making her web and ignores the attempt of various farm animals to interrupt her work. Many of you may recognize Carle's book from the English version. The Spanish version is equally adorable. Previous reviews on Amazon point out several grammatical mistakes. However, the publisher seems to have corrected these... though I did find one mistake in the translation (they use the phrase "este mosca" instead of "esta mosca").

I especially loved reading what sounds each animal makes in Spanish. And, of course, Carle's distinctive illustrations are engaging.

Here's a sample:

"Híiiiiii! Híiiiiii!" relinchó el caballo.
"¿Quieres tomar un paseo?"
Pero la araña no contestó. Estaba muy ocupada, tejiendo su tela.

So if you're looking for some English classics to share with your children, you might want to consider La araña muy ocupada.