Presents an anthology of American poetry by young Hispanic American authors.
Spanish
Adios, Anna (Friends And Amigos)
Saying goodbye for the summer to her Spanish friend, Anna, who is going away on vacation, Sarah plans to use a special library book to learn Spanish, but her plans are thwarted when the book is inadvertently left locked in Anna’s house. Original.
The Last Doll/La última Muñeca
The beautiful, but old-fashioned, Sarita sadly watches as her shelf-mates are purchased by eager shoppers and taken home. She looks out through the dust-covered plastic of her box, and she worries that she will be the last one. Every day she preens and puts her best porcelain face forward, but every evening, she remains on the shelf.
Finally one day, a tall man in a black mustache decides that she is perfect, and that she absolutely must be the last doll for his godchild, Teresa, on her quinceañera. Sarita’s alarm at still being last quickly shifts to pride when she realizes that sometimes people save the best for last.
The Old Man And His Door
Who would bring the door, la puerta, to a picnic instead of the pig, el puerco? An old man who’s great at gardening but lousy at listening to his wife! “In the universal tradition of the wise-fool story, this gentle disaster tale is funny and affectionate….The combination is great for reading aloud.” — Booklist
Chato Y Los Amigos Pachangueros
This lively tale of a party-loving barrio cat who throws a surprise celebration for his friend Novio Boy. With a lively text, bold art, and a setting and theme with Latinx flavor, this is an ideal choice for Spanish readers.
La Noche Buena
Nina is visiting her grandmother in Miami for Christmas. Usually she spends it in snowy New England with her mother and her family, but this year is different. She isn’t certain what to make of a hot and humid holiday, until she learns the traditions of her father’s side of the family from her Cuban grandmother. She helps prepare for the evening and takes part in all their traditions—the intricate cooking for the feast, the dancing, the music, and the gathering of relatives and neighbors. It all comes together for a Noche Buena that Nina will never forget. Antonio Sacre and Angela Dominguez have created a wonderful story that everyone who celebrates Christmas will enjoy. The book includes a glossary of Spanish words.
Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla
When Grandpa Luis’s grandchildren are visiting him in Chimayo, New Mexico, they see pictures of animals in one of the tortillas he has cooked for their breakfast.
Uno, Dos, Tres: One, Two, Three
Pictures depict two sisters going from shop to shop buying birthday presents for their mother. Rhyming text presents numbers from one to ten in English and Spanish.
Carmen Learns English
The first day of school can be scary, especially when no one else speaks your language. Carmen, who speaks only Spanish, knows she must be brave. Her teacher’s Spanish is muy terrible; but with a little encouragement from la Senora, Carmen teaches the class Spanish words and numbers, and she in turn learns English from her new friends.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
Once Around The Block / Una Vuelta A La Manzana (English And Spanish Edition)
There’s always a lot of action in the Mexican American neighborhood where Mr. Lozano lives. Amelia argues with Anita; Benito loves bean burritos but not bumblebees; Hortencia and Herminia hover around like hummingbirds; and Zacarias is catching some Zs on Zachary Street. Jose Lozano’s wacky little stories and illustrations combine Mexican culture with “Sesame Street” smarts to make for a wonderful read-aloud ABC book in Spanish and English. Jose Lozano, who lives in Anaheim, California, makes his living as an elementary school teacher, but his passion is art. He is a rising star in the thriving Latino art scene in Los Angeles. “With this amusing trip through the streets of a Mexican-American neighborhood, readers will discover the lives, adventures, secrets, hobbies and special skills of a most varied gallery of personages. “With the skills of a master storyteller, Lozano creates in each page, in alphabetical order, a lively, one-paragraph portrait using words that start with the same initial letter of his characters’ names: “B is for Benito who loves baseball, bumblebees, and big bean burritos”; “I is for Isabel who likes to stay indoors, cruise the Internet and write interesting stories”; “P is for Pablo who has won many prizes for playing the piano perfectly.” (Los Otros, hermanos Tonio, Lluvia and Chuy, new to the neighborhood, haven’t yet learned English.) “The author’s detailed and vibrant gouache paintings are framed as pictures in an album, reflecting the festive spirit of a real Hispanic community. Crosthwaite’s excellent Spanish rendition maintains the savor and rhyme of the original text and its clever wordplay, making the story enjoyable in both languages. Drawings of alphabet cubes serve as dividers between the texts.”–“Kirkus Reviews”