Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

The Barking Mouse

Mamá, Papá, Sister, and Brother Ratón go for a picnic on a beautiful day. After a delicious lunch of medianoches and lemonade, Mamá and Papá smooch—eeewww!—and Brother and Sister must find something to do. And what could be more fun than teasing the cat behind the fence? But the fence isn’t as high as they think! Faster than they can say, “Adios, Gato!” Brother and Sister are racing back to Mamá and Papá with the cat in pursuit. The brave Ratón family knows what to do—hide behind Mamá! But what will Mamá do?

Alicia’s Fruity Drinks; Las aguas frescas de Alicia

After enjoying a blended fruit drink called aguas frescas during a festival celebrating Mexico’s independence, seven-year-old Alicia and her mother make their own at home, then invite Alicia’s soccer team over to try them.

Alicia’s Fruity Drinks/Las aguas frescas de Alicia has been discussed in My Take/Your Take for September 2020.

A Mango In The Hand

Francisco is finally old enough to journey to the mango grove all by himself to gather the mangoes for a special dinner. But bees swarm the fruit, and Francisco has trouble picking them from the tree. He returns to his father several times, and each time his father shares a different proverb to inspire Francisco to continue trying. “Querer es poder. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!” Finally, Francisco is able to gather some mangoes, and on his way home he stops to visit his uncle, grandmother, and aunt. Francisco shares his mangoes with them, and by the time he gets home he no longer has any! “Es mejor dar que recibir. Sometimes it’s better to give than to receive.” Luckily for Francisco, his generosity does not go unnoticed. “Amor con amor se paga. Love is repaid with love.” Readers are sure to be charmed by this humorous story about problem solving and sharing. The book includes a glossary of Spanish words.

El Libro De Los Cuentos Y Leyendas De América Latina Y España

The collected stories in this beautifully illustrated volume bring Latin American and Spanish folklore to children all over the world. With stories that come from cultures as vast as the Guarani and the Quechua, the Highlands of Peru, the tip of South America, and Spain, this resource will captivate readers as it familiarizes them with these moving traditions. Text copyright 2004 Lectorum Publications, Inc.

Maria and the Stars of Nazca / Maria Y Las Estrellas De Nazca (Bilingual Edition)

Describes how Maria Reiche, a German scientist living in Peru in the 1930s, observed the lines on the Nazca desert and was one of the first to realize that they formed the outlines of animals only visible from the air.