Picture Book

House Held Up by Trees

When the house was new, not a single tree remained on its perfect lawn to give shade from the sun. The children in the house trailed the scent of wild trees to neighboring lots, where thick bushes offered up secret places to play. When the children grew up and moved away, their father, alone in the house, continued his battle against blowing seeds, plucking out sprouting trees. Until one day the father, too, moved away, and as the empty house began its decline, the trees began their approach. At once wistful and exhilarating, this lovely, lyrical story evokes the inexorable passage of time — and the awe-inspiring power of nature to lift us up

Carlos And The Squash Plant / Carlos Y La Planta De Calabaza

Having ignored his mother’s warnings about what will happen if he doesn’t bathe after working on his family’s New Mexican farm, Carlos awakens one morning to find a squash growing out of his ear.

A Quetzalcoatl Tale of the Corn

Quetzalcóatl tales are ancient legends from Mexico and Central America that have been passed down through the ages, primarily by oral tradition. A Quetzalcóatl Tale of Corn tells how Quetzalcóatl followed a trail of ants to the Mountain of Sustenance and stole maize from the gods to feed his people.

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.

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?

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.