Just in Case

I like cultural books like this one. This is a Spanish alphabet book with beautiful pictures. Readers are even invited to find a butterfly on each page witch draws the reader to look at details on each page. This is an alphabet book that is tied into a story - not just letters on each page. This is a nice peak at the Spanish culture.

Kids will love this book and will be drawn in by the beautiful pictures. Kids also love to hear the 2 languages read out loud back to back. Kids love to learn vocabulary in a new language.

Morales, Yuyi. (2008). Just In case. Roaring Brook.

From the Belly Button of the Moon

This book is full of poems about summer. Some poems are short and choppy, others are longer and include Latino heritage. Some poems rhyme and others do not. The poems describe the joys that can be found on this earth and the beauty it holds. The poems also describe nature and how it mirrors other things in nature. Each poem has the poem in English and then in Spanish.

The pictures are brightly colored and use colors from the Latino culture as well as designs that come from the culture. The pictures fill 2 pages per poem and usually tell more than just the poem explains. The illustrations look as if they are from a dream.

Alarcon, Francisco. (1998). From the belly button of the moon and other summer poems. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

Laughing Tomatoes and Other Poems

This book is full of poems about spring. Some poems are short and choppy, others are longer and include Latino heritage. Famous Latinos like Cesar Chavez are even included in the poem to celebrate his birthday. Each poem has the poem in English and then in Spanish. The final poem tells how they are only new beginnings. The book gives a very positive message.

The pictures are brightly colored and use colors from the Latino culture as well as designs that come from the culture. The pictures fill 2 pages per poem and usually tell more than just the poem explains. The illustrations look as if they are from a dream.

Alarcón, Francisco, Gonzalez, Maya, & Wadham, Tim. (1997). Laughing tomatoes and other spring poems. Neal Schuman Pub.