Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

A Caribbean Journey from A to Y (Read and Discover What Happened to the Z)

Join us in this fun and educational journey through the Caribbean islands, one letter at a time. From Aruba to Trinidad and from Alligator to Yam, you will learn the names of many of the islands, plus fascinating facts about them. A Caribbean astronaut? From which island? Seals in these tropical waters? An island with over 300 rivers? And what is a cok? With beautiful illustrations by Native American artist Earleen Griswold, drawn during her years living in the Virgin Islands, this is a book that you and your family will enjoy opening again and again. It will captivate, entertain, and educate readers from any part of the world. And wait until you see what they did with the Z.

My Nana’s Remedies/Los Remedios De Mi Nana

A little girl tells how her grandmother makes special teas and warm drinks for her and her little brother when they are not feeling well.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 2

The Piñata Maker / El Piñatero

Told in both English and Spanish by award-winning author-photographer George Ancona, The Pinata Maker/El pinatero documents this traditional Latin American artform and includes a note on how to make pinatas at home. Set in Mexico.

The Rowdy, Rowdy Ranch / Alla En El Rancho Grande

On El Rancho Grande, the grandchildren are not so interested in how Grandpa bought the ranch, but in what can be done on the ranch. The children play hide and seek in cornfields, under “the canopy of green leaves, golden threads and giant ears of corn.” They feed the family horses, ride the rambunctious pigs, and take frolicking dips in the duck pond. But through all of the outdoor escapades, their family stories are circling in the air, like the “sunflower wind” blooming around them. While drinking ice-cold lemonade in the sunshine, they hear about how Grandpa’s song of sorrow won him El Rancho. They hear about chickens that have abandoned their coops to live in Abuela’s chicken tree, and they even discover a story about a boy who cried chocolate tears. In those days of running and jumping, the narrator, Tito, did not realize that he was hearing the stories that would wrap him up “like an enchanted sarape to keep me warm for the rest of [his] life.”

Super Cilantro Girl/La Superniña Del Cilantro

What happens when a small girl suddenly starts turning green, as green as a cilantro leaf, and grows to be fifty feet tall? She becomes Super Cilantro Girl, and can overcome all obstacles, that’s what! Esmeralda Sinfronteras is the winning super-hero in this effervescent tale about a child who flies huge distances and scales tall walls in order to rescue her mom. Award-winning writer Juan Felipe Herrera taps into the wellsprings of his imagination to address and transform the concerns many first-generation children have about national borders and immigrant status. Honorio Robledo Tapia has created brilliant images and landscapes that will delight all children.

Little Night

As the long day comes to an end, Mother Sky fills a tub with falling stars and calls, “Bath time for Little Night!” Little Night answers from afar, “Can’t come. I am hiding and you have to find me, Mama. Find me now!” Where could Little Night be? Down a rabbit hole? In a blueberry field? Among the stripes of bees? Exquisitely painted and as gentle as Little Night’s dress crocheted from clouds, this is a story to treasure.

Three Little Tamales

While three little tamales cool off on a windowsill, a tortilla rolls by. “You’ll be eaten. You’d better run,” he tells them. And so the tamales jump out the window. The first runs to the prairie and builds a house of sagebrush. The second runs to a cornfield and builds a house of cornstalks. The third runs to the desert and builds a house of cactus. Then who should come along but Senior Lobo, the Big Bad Wolf, with plans to blow their houses down. Valeria Docampo’s oil-and-pencil illustrations add zest and humor to this rollicking southwestern version of a popular tale.

Quinito, Day and Night/Quinito, Día y Noche

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.

Mice and Beans

In this tale Rosa Maria spends the week getting ready for her granddaughter’s birthday party and trying to avoid attracting mice–unaware that the mice in her walls are preparing for a party of their own.