Latino Books

My 11-month old daughter loves these books. Maybe it's the size, pictures or shape. I always see her flipping the pages and even if she chews on them, the book doesn't fall apart easily like other board books.

We like the fat and colorful pictures. They are simplified and generalized, which is perfect for children. I just point at the pictures and say the Spanish word. Usually, I also say the English word, but not always. We just slowly read through the book and then move on. I don't focus on, "Here, kid, learn this other language," or anything like that. I treat it like it's just regular.
The series is a good series, too, by the way. I think there are at least three other books.
It's great for vocabulary building. It's sturdy and durable. Kids desperately want to help you turn the pages. Let them! Just have plenty of scotch tape handy, OR, use board books (or both....)!
We like it; it's frequently revisited.

My son can't get enough of this book. He wants me to read it over and over.My husband is spanish speaking and I'm not so this helps me learn and read spanish to and with myson.

My 2 1/2 year old son received this book from his aunt. He immediately enjoyed the repetition and has begun reciting the English and Spanish phrases while giggling too. His reaction to this unique book has been a welcome surprise so I am now seeking more books like this.

This El Paso, Texas-born author has lived many years in the desert, attuned to the sounds of the desert in both English and Spanish. Her love of this part of the country is evident in this elegant story that consists of the repetitive sounds of the owl, the toad, the hiss of the snake, the coo of the dove and the call of the coyote. Fish, mice, rain and wind add to nature's subtle symphony, but none of these sounds would be quite as memorable without the marvelous illustrations of Francisco X Mora. The artist brings the desert to life in his marvelous depictions of the animals in their natural habitat, all of them part of the grand vistas of nature's palette. In Spanish and English, text and artwork merge in a book that is a joy to share with early readers, a great adventure and an introduction into the world of words and nature's bounty, learning the language of the desert, sound and image in perfect harmony. Luan Gaines/2007.

Great bi-lingual starter book. Nicely illustrated! A sweet book!

This a wonderful poetry/picture book anthology by Pat Mora. The poems are full of music and picture, and the illustrations are vibrant and add to the reader's creativity and imagination.

Clearly, the poet-anthologist selected the poems with great care. (I suppose the labor was something like finding the beads to make the necklace, the glowing pearl necklace.) Mora's selection demonstrates her keen insight when it comes to the diversity of U.S. Latinas/os. The poems speak to the strength of our mothers and grandmothers and their amazing wonderfulness. Daily, as these poems describe, our Mamas surprise us with their love.

The poem "Abuelita Wears a Dress" by award-winning poet Rigoberto Gonzalez merits re-reading for its imagery, lyricism, and tickle.

This was one of the most wonderful gifts I received upon graduation in May, 2001. I hug this book after I read it to the little ones. And adults, too. Thank you, Pat Mora.

"Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers," edited by Pat Mora, is anthology of poems by Latino authors (Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Venezuelan). Each poem celebrates mothers and/or grandmothers. The poems are accompanied by the wonderful illustrations of Ecuador native Paula S. Barragan M.

These poems celebrate relationships, food, bilingualism, and family history. Some of my favorite selections include Cristina Muniz Mutchler's "Mi abuela" ("Many grandmothers like to bake cookies and cakes / mi abuela likes to make tortillas y empenadas"), Rane Arroyo's "My Tongue is Like a Map" ("Sometimes I dream in English and Spanish"), and Mimi Chapra's "Mi mama cubana" ("When mi mama cubana cooks arroz con pollo, / her smile is wider than a slice of watermelon"). Many other authors are featured, including Judith Ortiz Cofer and Francisco X. Alarcon.

This book is an excellent tribute to both Latino cultures and to mothers and grandmothers. Barragan's richly colored illustrations crackle with energy, and can also be very tender. Highly recommended to anyone with fond memories of a mother and/or grandmother, regardless of the reader's own cultural heritage.

Okay, I admit it: I'm biased here. I was lucky enough to have one of my poems accepted for this beautiful anthology of poems by Latina/o writers honoring mothers and grandmothers. But, setting aside my small contribution (I receive no royalties...I've already been paid!), this beautifully produced collection not only includes work from some of our most treasured Latina/o writers (Virgil Suarez, Pat Mora, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Francisco X. Alarcon, to name a few of the thirteen contributors), but each poem is handsomely illustrated by Ecuadorian artist, Paula Barragan, who uses bright, inviting colors and images that draw both young and old into each poem. Because most of the authors use a little Spanish, the book includes an easy-to-read glossary with a pronunciation key. Despite being aimed at the younger reader, adults will enjoy this collection as they read it to their children because each poem will conjure up memories of the love, joy and comfort given by mothers and grandmothers. Though this book just came out, it has already received rave reviews including one from the venerable Kirkus Reviews. It is a perfect gift for Mother's Day!

This book, while serving as an excellent and colorful children's fairy tale, also has some layers that are invisible to the untrained eye, but satisfying for the person with a little knowledge of modern Salvadoran history. Although the concept of the cadejo goes back a long way in Central American culture, Argueta has hidden a subtle commentary on the political history of El Salvador inside this fun-loving tale. It's no coincidence, for instance, that the number 14 occurs in the description of the landowners who send the lead soldiers to teach a lesson to those workers who have the nerve to think they should get to rest once in a while, or eat; look up the reference "fourteen families" (catorce familias in Spanish) to make the allusion emerge clearly within this charming tale.

Don't get me wrong -- if you want your child simply to read this story as a fairy tale, that will be possible, even easy to accomplish. The story stands on its own two (four?) feet without any need to introduce the allegorical aspects. All the same, there's a good reason this story was excerpted for an intermediate college Spanish textbook ... there's a lot more going on here than meets the eye.

i'm currently living in El Salvador and found this book online when looking for traditional Salvadorean legends on which to base a drama production. I was delighted by the story, which is accessibly presented in both English and Spanish, and which features enchanting details to make adults smile as they read to their children. The beautiful illustrations add to the enjoyment of this story - I intend to buy a copy to send to my 2 year old godson in England - he will adore it.

This is an excellent story, well told with colorful illustrations. It opens children's eyes to compassion, offering a story of hope and reconciliation. Excellent for children and for adults, too - it went over well in a class in Hispanic culture at Wofford College.

This wonderful collection of short stories is ideal for either learning Spanish for the first time, or, as in my case, reviewing the language over 20 years after first studying it. The stories are interesting, with a mixture of commonly-used words and unusual ones. Having both Spanish and English versions side by side makes it very easy to go back and forth to check the meanings of unfamiliar words. I love it!

This compilation of Latin-American folktales is very interesting for young and old alike. This book, along with Drum, Chavi, Drum! (by Mayra L. Dole) and Trinos Choice (by Diane Gonzales Bertrand), are the three best books I have read this year.

This marvelous collection of folk tales from Latin America works beautifully for read-alouds to children from ages 8 up. Each tale is included in both English and Spanish version,with varieties such as "horror" stories, stories of magic and others. My students have especially enjoyed "The Flying Skeleton" [El esqueleto volador] and "The Rooster's Claw" [Pata del gallo], a particularly delightfully grim variation of "The Monkey's Paw." Highly recommended

If I had the money, I would travel to Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe to learn about each region's culture. I wouldn't go to museums, but rather to the movies, especially the exploitative, sexual, and violent ones. Since I'm short on funds, I decided to read Pete Tomb's Mondo Macabro: Weird & Wonderful Cinema Around the World instead. For $18.95, I developed my own case of culture shock by reading about the B movies of Japan, Turkey, the Philippines, China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, India, and Indonesia. What we have here is an attention-grabbing introduction to an entire world of films that are full of bizarre sexuality, brutality, and horror. Tomb focuses on how these films react to, and contribute to, their particular culture's makeup and character. The film business in Istanbul, Turkey, for example, didn't get going until the '50s, when they made Drakula Istanbul'da (Dracula in Istanbul). To say the special effects were low-tech would be putting it mildly; to show fog in a graveyard, the crew lay on the ground and puffed on lots of cigarettes. After that success, there were films such as Tarzan in Istanbul and The Invisible Man in Istanbul -- there's nothing like national pride. Mondo Macabro concentrates not only on film lore but also on the literature and legends of these nations. It is rare to get a book on this subject that is so well written and informative for even the amateur film fanatic. Sadly, due to distribution and business practices, most people won't be able to see films such as India's Kali, The Bloodthirsty Bride of Shiva, Japan's Rapeman, or the Turkish version of Star Wars. So our alternative is this wonderful, well-researched book featuring stills from enchanting films I have never seen and, most likely, never will.

If you're in a movie rut and aren't interested in anything at your local video store, I implore you to check out Mondo Macabro! This book is fantastic! Its full of the strangest movies ever made throughout the world. Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong, India, you name it and its in here. Peter Tombs covers all bases, including the countries' film history and cultural practices, in order to give readers a better understanding as to why certain films were made. And some of it is still unexplainable! He even goes so far as to lead readers in the direction on where to find the films. I've picked up a few of the films in this book and I've been changed. Mondo Macabro raises the bar that film books must hurdle in order to be deemed thourough. If you're a fan of b-movies or in the mood for a total change of pace, Mondo Macabro can help you. This is a film junkie's dream! Also, be sure to check out Immoral Tales, also by Tombs, which covers European films.

When most people think of foreign film it's usualy something very european, more then likely french. Not that there is anything wrong with that but here's something you don't see everyday. In Pete Tombs book MONDO MACABRO we see the great "trash" films and filmmakers for the world. My favorite in the book and on the screen is a man who's character is known as "Ze do Caixao" in his home land of Brazil but "Coffin Joe" to you english speaking folks. Jose Mojica Marins is "Ze" the "evil" undertaker of his own written, directed and produced films. Check out "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul Away" from 1963, it's a masterpiece.

Tombs' book goes to all areas of the globe to find you the best and the strangest films you will ever see. Including a Turkish version of "Star Trek". The book is well written, has many original photos and posters arts so you can get a sense of what it take to make these kinds of films. Now the only challange is trying to find them on video.

Think you have seen everything, think again, check out MONDO MACABRO!

I think this book is great to use for pre-k lesson plans. The book came in the mail on time and in great shape. I plan on cooking mud soup with my class for an end of year project review.

My kids love this book. We have so much fun acting out the yukky parts. It is also a good introduction to different cultures.

ISBN 0375810870 - This is one time I hate to give a book five stars, because a five star romance novel is not the same as a five star classic and neither is the same as a five star kids' book. Five star kids' books are much more important, and there are a lot of them. Mud Soup, for me, stands a little above those. Pretend you can see six stars.

Rosa loves mud soup, it's delicioso! Her friend Josh is stuck with a somewhat soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but Rosa has hot, yummy soup. When she offers to share, he is overcome by the idea of "mud" soup. Even though he doesn't want to hurt Rosa's feelings, he doesn't take her up on her offer. This scenario plays out more than once as the kids play together, when Josh rides past Rosa's house one day and at school on International Day. Rosa finally reveals that there is no mud in mud soup and Josh discovers that mud soup is, indeed, delicioso!

Living in world that's getting smaller all the time, knowing a second language is slowly becoming more of a requirement for success as an adult. If that all starts when they're little, Mud Soup is a nice, simple and small step toward that end. Introducing just three small Spanish words (abuela = grandmother; delicioso = delicious; si = yes) keeps it easy for young readers, allowing for a slow introduction.

Equally importantly, Mud Soup reinforces the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover", with delicious soup that looks like mud and teaches children to be open to new things and other cultures. AND it teaches consideration for the feelings of others, by having Josh very clearly not want to hurt Rosa's feelings every time he rejects her offer. That's a lot to pack into such a small book, but Mud Soup pulls it off.

The illustrations are okay, nothing spectacular, but nice enough. While the book is marked "Step 3, Reading on Your Own", I think this is one well worth talking over with your child when s/he finishes. Have that conversation over soup - there's a recipe for Mud Soup on the last page! Delicioso!

I loved this book! It was nice to see a character who was from Puerto Rico and Ezra Jack Keats really included a lot of diversity in this book. A must have!

This is a very cute story that children will love. I also highly recommend two other books by latino authors: Drum, Chavi, Drum! (by Mayra L. Dole) and Trinos Choice (by Diane Gonzales Bertrand).

I vividly remember this book from my childhood -- and I vividly remember the Spanish words and phrases I learned from it. Very practical and engaging.

To a 10-year-old Hispanic boy growing up poor in an El Paso barrio in the 1950s, life can seem idyllic: you come home from school and mom is always there, making tortillas for the evening meal; dad is the strongest man you know; and everything you could ever want in a best friend lives right next door. You seemingly have everything you need under your family's rented roof until the day your parents tell you you're moving out of the only place you've known as home for a "better" life in another part of town.

Arriving in the new neighborhood, everything isn't really what it seems. Yes, the beautiful house is there with its light brown brick walls, white wooden columns on a porch, and a swing hanging from two chains in the ceiling, but there's also an Anglo family living inside! Unbeknownst to everyone, "Pop" has made a deal to rent out the formal house to an Army family, and have his family live in the subterraneo (basement) while he strives to build an apartment that will one day house the clan--all in the name of economics.

Carlos Nicolas Flores has made this interestingly unique premise the foundation of his debut novel, "Our House on Hueco," a coming-of-age young adult fiction tale told through the voice of 10-year-old Junior, who must come to grips with a world he didn't know existed outside what he felt were the relatively safe confines of his barrio.

Junior quickly learns that the move has not only brought about a new home, but also a new way of looking at family members and friends, and causes him to question a belief system instilled in him by his Puerto Rican father that the United States is the land of opportunity if one is willing to work hard and make sacrifices.

Throughout the novel, Flores explores themes of racism, poverty, and the complexities of human nature in a family that is struggling to claim a part of the American dream while seemingly not wanting to let go of parental birth lands, customs and cultures, especially when mom, who hails from Mexico, comes into contact with "los gringos."

Flores, a co-founding director of the South Texas Writing Project and a winner of the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize, boldly lays bare his perception regarding the nuances of Hispanic patriarchy by making his father figure macho beyond what most non-Hispanics would deem acceptable or even realistic. Then he carefully peels back the layers of Latin male stereotypical behavior to reveal a man who ultimately only wants to do what's best for his family.

While "Our House on Hueco" is written for young adults, it tells a quintessential story that transcends generations and racial divides. It is gritty in substance, yet amusing and alluring when it needs to be, and nostalgically familiar to anyone who grew up in the `50s without losing readers who are living their teen-age years in the 21st century. Flores has expertly woven a tale that deserves a wide audience and a prominent place on your bookshelf, reserved for works you're proud to say you've read.

This book can touch readers at all ages. Carlos Flores captures the essence of Mexican-American and Puerto Rican culture beautifully. I laughed, cried, and grew along with all the characters in the book. Growing up, I shared a smiliar experience as my father built large two story house that we later split into three smaller apartments in order to afford living there. For fifteen years we were crammed into that tiny space and felt just as Rafa and Junior must've felt living in the subterráneo. I will most definetely use this book with my students as I know that they too can relate to many of the experiences the characters shared.I am confident that this book holds the ability to help young readers rekindle their love for literature. I highly recommend this book and hope to see it put on the YALSA Best Books for Young Adults list. Include this book in your personal library; you will not be disappointed.

Thank you Carlos Flores for making Laredo proud.

The childhood world of 1950's El Paso is opened, and the mystery of the adult world, brought to life in Our House on Hueco. Carlos Flores imbues his hero, Junior with a childhood full of joy, and wonder. Junior's childhood eyes begin to see the world of prejudice, racial tension, and the cross cultural marriage of his mother, from Mexico, and his father from Puerto Rico. Yet through it all, a tale of courage, of hope, of redemption, of healing between Junior's family, and the Anglo neighbors upstairs, unfolds. A must read to understand the glory and grace, and the tension and tragedy of the border of the United States and Mexico, the power of the Mexican American dream, and the transcendant hope the touches each of our lives. I highly recommed this book to any lover of family stories, and lovers of the southwest.

This book is great for kids. The illustrations are wonderful, the story is interesting and educational. My daugther loves it.

This is a good little book for those learning the Spanish language on several levels.

My 3 year old granddaughter never tires of hearing the story over and over of a selfish fish who learns how to give. The holograms thruout the book fascinate her.