After school, Marisol eagerly starts for home to see if her cat, Luisa, has had her kittens. But before she can get there, Uncle Tomás calls to her. He needs Marisol to tell the poultry man that his chickens cost too much. Uncle Tomás cannot speak English so Marisol must do the talking–and she does. Marisol hurries on her way, but soon Auntie Flora stops her for help. Then Mrs. Lopez needs her, too. When Marisol finally gets home, her own mama needs her to hurry to the phone company to straighten out a bill. Luisa will have to wait.
Picture Book
The Lady In The Blue Cloak: Legends From The Texas Missions
For each Texas mission, there is a rich and complicated history. In the title story, from Mision de San Francisco de los Tejas, a mysterious woman in blue visits the Teas people to prepare them for the missionaries\’ arrival. In \”Rosa\’s Window\” and \”The Bell\” the love and grief of two couples torn apart in the making of the Mision de San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo manifest themselves in the very edifices of the mission. The Mision de Nuestra SEnora de la Purisma Concepcion de Acuna, named for and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was the scene of a remarkable salvation as the Teas workers tried to escape the heated pursuit of the Comanches in \”The Miracle at the Gate.\” Here Kimmel gracefully retells these and other powerful legends behind four of th missions, each enhanced by a beautifully evocative painting by Susan Guevara.
Abuelos
The tradition of los abuelos comes from northern New Mexico. In the cold months of midwinter, village men disappear to disguise themselves as scary old men and then descend on the children, teasing them and asking if they’ve been good. The abuelos encourage the little ones to dance and sing around huge bonfires. Afterwards, everyone enjoys cookies and empanadas. In this charming book, young Ray and Amelia move to a new village and experience the fright and fun of los abuelos for the first time. Amelia Lau Carling researched the region for her vibrant artwork, and author Pat Mora’s lively text captures the appeal of an old-world celebration now being revived.
Carlos And The Cornfield / Carlos Y La Milpa De Maiz (Carlos Series)
In this delightful sequel to “Carlos y la Planta de Calabaza”, Carlos is told by his father that “you reap what you sow”. After some humorous experiences, Carlos comes to understand the rewards of hard work and learns a valuable lesson in listening. Full color.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 4
Tiny Tortilla
Juan Carlos is dreaming of a hot, tasty tortilla. But the old tortilla maker in the plaza has sold them all—except for a tiny piece of masa (corn dough) that she gives him with instructions.This tiny piece is magical—it becomes a hat to shade him from the hot sun, a boat to carry him through a flood, and an enormous feather that floats him home. And then it becomes a delicious tortilla for his well-earned supper. Featuring inventive art with Southwestern folk accents, this is a rich and satisfying book about finding magic in ordinary places.
Juan And The Jackalope: A Children’s Book In Verse
When Rosita, the loveliest gal in the Pecos River Valley, offers her delicious rhubarb pie as first prize for the Great Grasshopper Race, a thousand love-struck vaqueros line up for the competition. Of course everyone believes that the legendary cowboy Pecos Bill, riding his giant grasshopper, Hoppy, is a shoo-in for the grand prize. Sure enough, Bill and Hoppy give an impressive performance, crisscrossing the Southwest in a raucous ride. But young Juan, who is hopelessly in love with Rosita, astonishes them all when he and Jack the Jackalope take a miraculous ride around the world and across the Milky Way. The daring pair return, covered in stardust, to claim the beautiful Rosita and her delicious pie. Set in New Mexico, Anaya’s fanciful story, coupled with Amy Cordova’s vivid illustrations, brings the tradition of Southwestern tall tales to a new generation of young readers.
Pablo Remembers
From October 31 to November 2, people in Mexico celebrate the festival of el Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. This photodocumentary follows Pablo and his family as they prepare to honor the memory of Pablo’s grandmother. Ancona’s photographs catch the affirmation of life that fills the Mexican festival arising from both Aztec and Christian customs honoring the dead.
Gracias The Thanksgiving Turkey
In this warm holiday story, a young Puerto Rican boy saves the life of his pet turkey with help from his close-knit New York City family and neighborhood. Beginning Spanish vocabulary is woven into the text. Four color.
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.
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.