Materials from the Americas
Lupita is excited about dancing la raspa, a Mexican folk dance, with her first-grade class at a celebration of Children’s Day. But she’s devastated when she learns right before the show that her partner Ernesto sprained his right ankle.
Lupita’s First Dance / El Primer Baile De Lupita has been discussed in My Take/Your Take for September 2020.
A young boy has trouble adjusting to his new home and his new school, until he decides that with a little effort, he can make new friends.
Estella can’t help but giggle when she sees her neighbors, Dona Rosa and Dona Maria, shaking their hips while dancing and sweating at an exercise class at the community recreation center. A few days later, when her mother complains about gaining weight, Estella encourages her to join the class.
Let’s Salsa / Bailemos Salsa has been discussed in My Take/Your Take for September 2020.
When his father leads him on a magical trip of discovery through new fallen snow, a young boy who emigrated from his warm island home overcomes fears about living in New York.
When René learns that in the United States his name is also a girl’s name, he does some research and relates the name’s meaning and letters to his homeland of El Salvador and the things that make him special.
Ana Patino is adjusting well to her new life in the United States, but her mother is having problems because she doesn’t know English. When one of the babies falls ill, Mama tries to get help, but no one can understand her. Convinced that she needs to learn the new language, Mama agrees to take English lessons. As Mama gains new language skills, she also develops a sense of confidence and belonging.
GREEN CORN TAMLAES – TAMALES DE ELOTE narrates the experience of one small girl growing up in an Hispanic-American family which gathers every year at grandmother’s ranch to make wonderful green corn tamales
A young Mexican American girl accompanies her father to a swap meet, where she hopes to sell her music box for money for dancing lessons.
A Cuban girl transforms her long and unruly hair into a garden.
It’s almost Cinco de Mayo, and Ricky’s class is going to put on a play to celebrate the festive Mexican holiday. When asked to choose his costume, Ricky picks a big, bushy mustache, just like his dad’s. He’s tired of everyone telling him he looks like his mother. After all, he’s a boy–he wants to look like his Papi. Although he’s supposed to leave it in school, Ricky wears the mustache home, reveling all the way in how grown-up it makes him feel. But by the time he gets there, the mustache is gone, and Ricky dreads having to tell his teacher what happened.