There's a Book for That: Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month for Young Readers
As we continue to celebrate Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month visit I Am La Cultura and join us in honoring Latine and Hispanic authors, creators, illustrators, and trailblazers. This week we recommend the following acclaimed books for young readers:
Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together . . . until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas to create Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then the Palladium Ballroom issued a bold challenge to segregation and threw open its doors to all. Illustrated with verve and told through real-life characters who feature in an afterword, ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! portrays the power of music and dance to transcend racial, religious, and ethnic boundaries.
As a mother holds her young child, they muse over the way their bond would translate as different animals–a sheep and a lamb, a bear and a cub. They know their bond will change over time, but no matter how they each change, they will always be “us.”
This beautiful story has universal parental appeal, and the bilingual text from Chilean author/illustrator Paloma Valdivia underlines that no matter how many differences we have from one another, we have more similarities.
Explore Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s rise to stardom as she travels from Mexico to New York City for her first-ever solo exhibition and sets the art world aflame. A story of independence, determination, and finding beauty within one’s scars, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves into the incredible power of one of the greatest artists of all time—brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.
Newbery Honor Award Winner
Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito—his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn’t mean Pedro is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. After all, Pedro has 8 brothers and sisters and the house is crowded enough! Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family for a road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home, and what follows is the trip of a lifetime, one filled with laughs and heartache. Along the way, Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.
Celebrity Chef Gaby Melian brings you into her kitchen to teach the best recipes she’s learned from all over Latin America. From desayuno (breakfast) to cena (dinner), merienda (snacks) to postre (dessert), your young chef will be a pro in no time.
Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor! The perfect introduction to nonfiction for preschoolers—as well as fans of all ages! This Little Golden Book about Sonia Sotomayor–the first Latina Supreme Court Justice of the United States–is an inspiring read-aloud for young girls and boys.
When Estrella’s Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía. A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna’s New Home explores Tía and Estrella’s Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía’s journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is.
A Children’s Book about finally being seen. Blancaflor, a superb graphic storytelling of a classic Latin American folktale, showcases the invisible labor of women and the contributions of Indigenous cultures.
This is a moving story–one that resonates with millions of immigrants who make up the fabric of our country–about one girl living in two worlds, a girl whose DACA application was eventually approved and who is now living her American dream.
This lovingly-illustrated picture book memoir looks at the myriad gifts migrantes bring with them when they leave their homes. It’s a story about family. And it’s a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own strengths wherever we roam. Beautiful and powerful at any time but given particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless. The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously detailed illustrations, rich in symbolism. Also included are a brief autobiographical essay about Yuyi’s own experience, a list of books that inspired her (and still do), and a description of the beautiful images, textures, and mementos she used to create this book.
A parallel Spanish-language edition, Soñadores, is also available.
Gorgeously illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, this lively biography follows Juan Garcia Esquivel from Mexico to New York City. Juan grew up to the sounds of mariachi bands; he loved music and became a musical explorer. Defying convention, he created music that made people laugh and planted images in their minds. His musical dreams brought him from Mexico to America and gained him worldwide renown. Juan’s space-age lounge music—popular in the fifties and sixties—has found a new generation of listeners. This account honors Esquivel as one of the great composers of the 20th century.
Here is the inspirational story of Major League Baseball player Roberto Clemente—not Bob—who endured years of racism and discrimination to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time. MLB.com journalist Nathalie Alonso and award-winning illustrator Rudy Gutierrez show the emotional highs and lows of Roberto Clemente’s career as he fought racism—from fans, reporters, and other figures in the sport—to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time. With English and Spanish words intermingled in the text, this book will inspire young readers as they learn about Clemente’s contributions to Black, Latino, and American history.
Meet the remarkable librarian, Luis Soriano, in this paperback, bilingual picture book that celebrates spreading the joys of reading. Inspired by the heroic efforts of real-life librarian Luis Soriano, award-winning picture book creators Monica Brown and John Parra introduce readers to the mobile library that journeys over mountains and through valleys to bring literacy and culture to rural Colombia, and to the children who wait for the BiblioBurro.
For more on these and more titles for younger readers visit the collection Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month, Young Readers
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