Hispanic Heritage Month Children's Books

"This almost wordless picture book set in the dawn of human life imagines how art and storytelling were born from the power of one young girl's observation. Once upon a time, during the Pleistocene, somewhere between two-and-a-half million and ten thousand years ago, small groups of people traveled their known world, hunting for food, seeking shelter, and slowly becoming more like the people we are today. As far back as 40,000 years ago (and maybe...

"Today, little Jesús has a big job to do. He's helping Papá at work, and he's in charge of the water jug -- which is also a magical clock! When it's empty, Papá explains, the workday is done. But what about all these thirsty animals? Soon, the water is gone, but the day is not over yet. Will Jesús be fired?! Or is the jug not really magical after all." -- page [2] of cover.

"Two curious children go for a walk, asking imaginative questions about the natural beauty that surrounds them"--

When Aurora came to America, she learned to speak English. But not her spaniel, Nena. As Aurora explains to her friends she meets along the way, her dog just knows Spanish. Nena doesn't know "sit," but she knows "sientate." And she doesn't know "wait," but she know "espera." And a "treat" might not mean anything to Nena, but she sure can sniff out a "postre"!

"Co-quí, co-quí! The coquí frogs sing to Elena from her family's beloved mango tree--their calls so familiar that they might as well be singing, "You are home, you are safe." But home is suddenly not safe when a hurricane threatens to destroy everything that Elena knows"--

"A Leo le gusta la falda morada de su baúl. Se pregunta por qué sólo las chicas pueden llevar faldas. Y las chicas ¿siempre pudieron vestir con pantalones?"--Page 4 of cover.

Mariana is visiting her abuelita and extended family in Mexico for the first time. Her tummy does a flip as she and Mami cross the frontera. There are all new sights, smells, and sounds. And at Abuelita's house, Mariana is overwhelmed by new faces and Spanish phrases she doesn't understand. But with a story, some kindness, and a few new words from Abuelita, Mariana discovers that the love of family knows no cultural divide.

"A family honors their living and dead relatives as they celebrate the Day of the Dead with shared food and stories"--

"As a young boy walks nine kilometers to school, he travels through the mountain and rain forest landscapes of southern Chile"--

As João tucks under a lovingly woven quilt, he asks himself: So it's just me now? He curls up, getting cozy in bed, and soon the world of his dreams unspools on the page. The blanket in his bed unravels into deep rivers, lakes, valleys, reservoirs, mountain ranges, fishing nets full of tadpoles and gaping holes, until what's left is just one long thread. When he feels alone and scared in the dark, João "sews words like patchwork" into a new blanket...