From dawn till dusk, Quinito’s life is full of opposites. In the morning, he’s up and running – fast or slowly, depending on the day. If it’s sunny, he’s off to the park to swing high and low. If it’s a rainy, stay-at-home day, Quinito’s quiet at naptime and noisy at playtime. So much to do before the sun sets! This playful story builds awareness in young readers that everywhere they look, opposites abound. Told in both English and Spanish, Quinito, Day and Night is a delight for readers young or old, tall or short, messy or neat.
Early Years (ages 2-6)
El Regalo Del Lenador / The Woodcutter’s Gift
One day, a terrible thunderstorm knocked down the giant mesquite tree that grew in the town square. After the storm, the townspeople gathered to gawk at the large obstruction blocking the street. They weren’t sure what to do with it, but they all agreed that the wood was good for nothing except a fire. But the woodcutter Tomás sees something in the huge tree that the rest of the townsfolk don’t. “The beauty of this tree is not on the outside but on the inside,” Tomás tells them. In the following days, everyone watches curiously as the woodcutter carves and chips and whittles the wood into blocks. At one point, he moves the chunks into his shed, increasing everyone’s curiosity. What could the woodcutter be doing with all that lumber? Finally, Tomás calls the townsfolk together to see his creations: a wonderful collection of life-sized animals for the children to enjoy. Children and adults alike are thrilled with their private zoo! But a few weeks later the woodcutter is visited by strangers from a folk-art museum who want to buy the pieces for their collection. Will Tomás sell the town’s new zoo animals so that others can enjoy them too?
Illus: woodcuts
I’m Just Like My Mom; I’m Just Like My Dad/ Me parezco tanto a mi mama; Me parez
I’m just like my mom.
Me parezco tanto a mi mamá.
I’m just like my dad.
Me parezco tanto a mi papá.
With Akemi Gutiérrez’s charming illustrations, renowned journalist Jorge Ramos explores the many ways in which all children are just like their parents—in two languages!
Junto con las simpáticas ilustraciones de Akemi Gutiérrez, el respetado periodista Jorge Ramos explora las varias maneras en que los hijos se parecen a sus padres. ¡Y lo hace en dos idiomas!
Rene has two Last Names / Rene tiene dos apellidos
Young Rene 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, Rene and Amelia. When he writes Lainez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. His new classmates giggle when Rene tells them his long name. So when the students are given a project to create a family tree, Rene is determined to explain the importance of using both of his last names. On the day of his presentation, Rene explains that he is as hard working as Abuelo Rene, who is a farmer, and as creative as his Abuela Amelia, who is a potter. He can tell stories like his Abuelo Julio and enjoys music like his Abuela Angela.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
Burro’s Tortillas
What do you get when you cross The Little Red Hen with a burro and his friends? Burro s Tortillas! In this humorous Southwestern retelling of a childhood favorite, Burro finds it difficult to get any help from his friends as he diligently works to turn corn into tortillas. Young children will love the repetition; older children will enjoy the book’s many puns. In addition to its Southwestern flavor, the delightful story imparts an accurate picture of the traditional way that tortillas are made. A Spanish/English glossary and a simple recipe for making tortillas are included in the For Creative Minds section.
Chato’s Kitchen
Chato, the coolest cat in East L.A., and his buddy, Novio Boy, prepare to serve up a special housewarming party for their new neighbors, a family of mice, in which their guests are also the main course, but the mice bring along their own guest, Chorizo, the toughest dog in the barrio.
Sweet Dreams/Dulces Suenos (My Family: Mi Familia)
Shh, shh, close your eyes.
Shh . . . shh . . . Cierra los ojitos.
Outside, the rabbits are sleeping,
Afuera, los conejitos están durmiendo
and the birds, and the squirrels.
junto con los pajaritos, y las ardillas.
Inside, Grandma tucks
us snugly into bed.
Adentro, Abuelita nos da
las buenas noches.
The stars and moon
are shining bright.
Las estrellas y la
luna brillan.
Sweet dreams!
¡Dulces sueños!
As warm and comforting as a grandmother’s voice, this endearing book in the My Family/Mi familia series makes bedtime a soothing family tradition.
Este encantador libro de la serie My Family/Mi familia, tan cálido y reconfortante como la voz de una abuela, ayuda a convertir la hora de dormir en una armoniosa tradición familiar.
Viva!…!una Pinata! (Spanish Edition)
Clara chooses to have a dog-shaped pinata at her birthday party but quickly finds she has become attached to it and cannot bear to destroy it, so she finds herself in a bad situation because if she keeps the dog pinata, she will have no pinata for her party.
Numero Uno
A bilingual picture book that will be #1 this spring! From a talented team, this hilarious tale of competition run amok is told with a sprinkling of Spanish and a heaping spoonful of charm. Which is better, brains or brawn? In a small village, Hercules is known for his great strength and Socrates for his keen intelligence. Whenever the villagers have a problem, they go to one or the other for help. Each man believes that he is the most important person in town. And the two fight about it constantly. Who, their neighbors wonder, will resolve the question that instigates all this bickering? The villagers realize they must settle the argument once and for all by finding out who is “número uno.” They devise a clever test, and Hercules and Socrates, each sure he will win, go along with it. The answer is a surprise for everyone “I came up with the idea for Número Uno in sixth grade when the class was asked to write fables. I thought that these two characters, one with outstanding intelligence and one with exceptional brawn, would together create an entertaining story. It could also carry a valuable lesson, as fables do. The story was originally set in China, but to me it is universal. We later decided to change to a Spanish-speaking setting, which I am more familiar with. “I grew up bilingual, speaking English and Spanish, and have visited many Latin American countries, including going to school there for a short while. I’m now sixteen years old and am enjoying living in Seattle. I spend much of my free time going to the nearby mountains (like Hercules and Socrates do in the book), in my case to snowboard. I also create my own stories through taking photographs, a few of which have now been published. I stay busy with playing baseball and going to high school. “As we wrote the book, the story stayed essentially as I originally had it, though we went through seemingly endless numbers of revisions and ended up changing details in the process. Writing a book with your dad is definitely not the easiest of tasks. At some points we reminded ourselves of the bickering characters in the story. Ultimately we were able to work together to create what I hope is a book you’ll enjoy.”—Alex Dorros on the creation of Número Uno with his father Arthur Dorros
Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Pura Belpre Medal Book Illustrator (Awards))
In this original trickster tale, Senor Calavera arrives unexpectedly at Grandma Beetle’s door. He requests that she leave with him right away. “Just a minute,” Grandma Beetle tells him. She still has one house to sweep, two pots of tea to boil, three pounds of corn to make into tortillas – and that’s just the start! Using both Spanish and English words to tally the party preparations, Grandma Beetle cleverly delays her trip and spends her birthday with a table full of grandchildren and her surprise guest. This spirited tribute to the rich traditions of Mexican culture is the perfect introduction to counting in both English and Spanish. The vivacious illustrations and universal depiction of a family celebration are sure to be adored by young readers everywhere.