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Estas manos: Manitas de mi familia / These Hands: My Family’s Hands
by Samuel Caraballo
Illustrated by Shawn Costello
ISBN: 978-1-55885-795-7
Publication Date: 10/31/14
Bind: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
In this heart-warming ode to family, the young narrator compares the hands of family members to plants in the natural world. “Your hands, the most tender hands! / When I’m scared, / They soothe me,” she says to her mother. The girl compares her mother’s hands to rose petals, which represent tenderness in Latin America.
Her father’s hands are strong like the mahogany tree; her siblings’ friendly like the blooming oak tree. Grandma Inés’ are the happiest hands, like tulips that tickle and hug tightly. And Grandpa Juan’s are the wisest, like the ceiba tree, considered by many indigenous peoples of Latin America to be the tree of life and wisdom and the center of the universe. His are the hands that teach his granddaughter how to plant and care for the earth and how to play the conga drum.
She promises to give back all the love they have always given her, “Dad, when your feet get tired, / My hands will not let you fall.” Samuel Caraballo’s poetic text is combined with Shawn Costello’s striking illustrations depicting loving relationships between family members. An author’s note about Latin American symbols will introduce children both to the natural world and the idea that one thing can represent another.
Cecilia and Miguel Are Best Friends / Cecilia y Miguel son mejores amigos
by Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Illustrated by Thelma Muraida
ISBN: 978-1-55885-794-0
Publication Date: 10/31/14
Bind: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Cecilia and Miguel are best friends, and have been since the third grade when he gave her bunny ears in the class picture. Their life-long friendship is recorded in warm recollections of bike races and soccer games, beach time and fishing from the pier.
Their closeness endures separation, “even when he drove north to college and she drove west.” The relationship evolves and grows, but remains strong even when … he dropped the ring and she found it inside her flan … he set up one crib and she told him they need two … the twins climb into their bed and beg for another story. In this celebration of friendship, best friends forgive mistakes, share adventures and—sometimes—even become family!
Popular children’s book author Diane Gonzales Bertrand teams up with illustrator Thelma Muraida to create an album of memories that reflect their shared Mexican-American childhood in San Antonio, Texas: swinging at birthday party piñatas, breaking cascarones over friends’ heads and dancing at quinceañeras. Young children are sure to giggle at the adventures of Cecilia and Miguel, and they’ll be prompted to ask about their parents’ relationship as well as explore their own.
No Time for Monsters / No hay tiempo para monstruos By Spelile Rivas (Author) Amira Plascencia (Spanish Translator) Valeria Cervantes (Illustrator)
ISBN 9781558854451 30 Apr 2010
An endearing story about a boy who tries to avoid chores by blaming monsters
Like most kids, Roberto doesn’t want to help with household chores. Who wants to clean the bedroom? Yuck! Roberto tells his mother he can’t clean his room because he’s afraid the Closet Monster might lock him away forever! “Maybe you should help me,” he tells his mother. “The Closet Monster is afraid of you.” But Mamá insists he clean his own room. And when Mamá asks for Roberto’s help wiping the table and sweeping the kitchen floor, he again tries to wiggle out of cleaning because of his fear of monsters. “If I sweep the floor,” he says, “the Dust Monster might come and blow me away forever!” Later, when Roberto is ready for his mother to read him a story, she turns the tables on him. “If I read you a story,” Mamá says, “the Work Monster might come and take me away forever.” So Roberto grabs a mop and willingly helps his mom finish the chores. Together, Roberto and his mother put an end to the cleaning and the monsters! In this entertaining picture book about a boy’s creative attempts to avoid doing chores around the house, first-time children’s book author Spelile Rivas creates an amusing scenario to illustrate how working together to complete tasks can be productive and fun.
Abuelo vivía solo / Grandpa Used to Live Alone Amy Costales (Author) Esperanza Gama (Illustrator)
ISBN 9781558855311 Published 30 Apr 2010
A loving homage to the abiding presence of a grandparent in a young girl’s life
Grandpa used to live alone in a quiet pink house. But when his granddaughter was born, everything changed: “Mamá and I moved in. Grandpa’s house was still pink, but it was not so quiet anymore.” And Grandpa’s house and garden weren’t as orderly either. Sometimes Grandpa had to pick his way through toys strewn across the floor. Other days he watched her pluck rose buds and beans from his plants. And some days his brick patio was decorated with brightly colored chalk. While she was a little girl and her mother went to school late in the evening, Grandpa made rice pudding. She would play with the measuring cups and eat raisins while he prepared their bedtime snack and told her stories. Then he would carry her upstairs to her crib and tuck her in. He would rock in the chair by her crib until she went to sleep. As the years pass, she grew and grew. Grandpa took down her crib and bought her a bed. He taught her how to make rice pudding and play catch. And while she was growing, Grandpa was grow
0 Comments on New Bilingual Books from Arte Publico Press/ Piñata Books as of 1/1/1900
Hace mucho tiempo, when we were fit enough to carry a picket sign and young enough to walk a picket line holding it, supporting the United Farmworkers (UFWOC) was an easy decision. Hell, back then some of us couldn't even afford to buy grapes, so it wasn't such a sacrifice to stand up for the basic civil/human rights of those who provide our food.
If you've been out of that loop, you may be surprised to hear that the struggle is not over. And needs our support, again. Below is a message from UFWOC that deserves your read, if not more:
Tell 3,000 stores about Giumarra Vineyards' abuses
Retailers are in a special position to keep their suppliers accountable. This is why farm workers out at Giumarra Vineyards, the nation's largest table grape grower, are seeking their help in keeping their employer accountable.
We know from experience, however, that it is you--the consumer--whom grocers are most responsive to. Please let Unified Grocers, a Forbes Fortune 1,000 company made up of over 3,000 independent retailers, know that as a purchaser of Giumarra's Nature's Partner produce, they have a responsibility to hold this company to higher standards.
The conditions at Giumarra are deplorable. Go here to see what Giumarra employee Domingo Valderrama says about how his company treats farm workers:
You may be surprised to hear that Giumarra can get away with denying workers water or breaks during the hot summer months of CA's Central Valley, where temperatures climb to the triple digits. Not only is this a grave injustice, it is also illegal. However, this company has a long history of such violations.
State enforcement of the law has proven to be inadequate in protecting these workers. In order to be able to ensure their own protection, farm workers need union representation. Giumarra goes to great lengths to avoid losing any power over the farm workers toiling in their fields. In the past, they've harassed and intimidated workers who have tried to gain union representation.
In order to make sure that Giumarra cannot do this again, we need you to tell the buyers of Giumarra's and Nature's Partner's produce to demand this company uphold the law. Join Domingo in saying, "Si Se Puede!" Click here to send this message to them.
Letter from Nicolás Kanellos, Ph.D. Arte Público Press Director
Here is wishing you well during these economically trying times. Because many sectors in the economy are fairing poorly, Arte Público Press has also been suffering. As usual, the first budgets to be cut by state and local authorities are those for schools and libraries, precisely the major consumers of our books and where our children most need them. What’s worse, our largest consumers are from California, the state that has seen its schools and public services cut back the most.
If you wish Piñata Books, Arte Público Press and its Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage to continue to present, represent and safeguard Latino culture in education, the media and general society, you must help us overcome this financial shock to our system. Since August, our sales have plummeted by more than 25%, which can only mean laying off professionals and student workers, as well as publishing fewer books and conducting less research.
We can get over the economic hump this year, but only with your help. This is not part of any yearly solicitation that we do. This is a one-time request to help us make it until next fall, when we expect the economy to improve, and schools and libraries to respond.
Please help us with your personal, maximum contribution. Also, please consider sending this letter and attachment to benefactors you know, along with your own personal cover letter, or send us a list of names and addresses, and we will be happy to reach them.
We have very little time left before we seriously cut back our operations, and we urge you to be generous in your contribution and in providing contacts that can help us reach our goal. Your contribution is fully tax-deductible. You may send us a check directly or use your credit card to donate via our portal Latinoteca.com.
Thanks you so much for your past and current support and continued involvement in Arte Público and Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project. We appreciate your dedication to the importance of our mission and know that you are vital to its success.
With warmest regards and sincere appreciation for your generosity,
Chicana detective Gloria Damasco has a "dark gift," an extrasensory prescience that underscores her investigations and compels her to solve numerous cases. This time, the recurring vision haunting her dreams contains two pairs of dark eyes watching her in the night, a phantom horse and rider, and the voice of a woman pleading for help. But most disquieting of all is Gloria’s sensation of being trapped underwater, unable to free herself, unable to breathe.
When Gloria is asked to help the owners of the Oro Blanco winery in California’s Shenandoah Valley, she finds herself on the road to the legendary Gold Country. And she can’t help but wonder if the ever-more persistent visions might foreshadow this new case that involves the theft of a family heirloom, a pair of antique diamond and emerald earrings rumored to have belonged to Mexico’s Empress Carlota.
Soon Gloria learns that there’s more to the case than stolen jewelry. Mysterious accidents, threatening anonymous notes, the disappearance of a woman believed to be a saint, and a ghost horse thought to have belonged to notorious bandit Joaquín Murrieta are some of the pieces Gloria struggles to fit together. A woman’s gruesome murder and the discovery of a group of young women from Mexico being held against their will in an abandoned house send Gloria on a fateful journey to a Witches’ Sabbath to find the final pieces of the puzzle before someone else is killed.
Corpi weaves the rich cultural history of California’s Gold Country with a suspenseful mystery in this latest installment in the Gloria Damasco Mystery series. In addition to poetry and mystery novels, Lucha Corpi also writes for children. In 1997, she published her first bilingual picture book, Where Fireflies Dance / Ahí, donde bailan las luciérnagas (Children’s Book Press), and The Triple Banana Split Boy / Diente dulce (Arte Público Press, 2009).
Corpi holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from UC-Berkley and an M.A. in World and Comparative Literature from San Francisco State University. A tenured teacher in the Oakland Public Schools Neighborhood Centers Program for 30 years, she retired in 2005.
"I’m not afraid of that old man," Adela once told her niece. But everyone in the small town of La Curva, Nicaragua, knew that the wealthy land owner, Don Roque Ramírez, wanted Adela Rugama dead. And on Christmas Day, Adela disappeared. It was two months before her murdered body was found.
An American professor of Nicaraguan descent spending the summer in his parents’ homeland learns of Adela’s murder and vows to unravel the threads of the mystery. He begins the painstaking process of interviewing the townspeople, and it quickly becomes apparent that Adela—a hard-working campesina who never learned to read and write—and Don Roque had one thing in common: the beautiful Ixelia Cruz. The love of Adela’s life, Ixelia was one of Don Roque’s many possessions until Adela lured her away.
The interviews with Adela’s family, neighbors, and former lovers shed light on the circumstances of her death and reveal the lively community left reeling by her brutal murder, including: her older sister Mariela and her four children, who spent Christmas morning with their beloved aunt, excitedly unwrapping the gifts she brought them that fateful day; her neighbor and friend, Lizbeth Hodgson, the beautiful mulata who rejected Adela’s passionate advances early in their relationship; Padre Uriel, who did not welcome Adela to mass because she loved women (though he has no qualms about his lengthy affair with a married woman); her former lover Gloria, the town’s midwife, who is forever destined to beg her charges to name their newborn daughters Adela.
Through stories and gossip that expose jealousies, scandals, and misfortunes, Sirias lovingly portrays the community of La Curva, Nicaragua, in all its evil and goodness. The winner of the Chicano / Latino Literary Prize, this spellbinding novel captures the essence of a world rarely seen in American literature.
Silvio Sirias is the author of Bernardo and the Virgin (Northwestern University Press, 2007). He has also written and edited several books on Latino/a literature, including Julia Alvarez: A Critical Companion (Greenwood Press, 2001) and Conversations with Rudolfo Anaya (University Press of Mississippi, 1998). He received his doctorate in Spanish from the University of Arizona and worked as a professor of Spanish and U.S. Latino/a literature for several years before returning to live in Nicaragua in 1999. He currently lives in Panama.
Alex Perez is an aspiring writer living with his girlfriend Ramona, who feeds him, washes and irons his clothes, and gives him nice and useful gifts. All that is expected of him in return is to satisfy her unquenchable sexual urges. Her mother Charlene is paying Ramona’s bills until she graduates from college, and she thinks Alex is a free loader. He’s horrified when Charlene gives him an ultimatum: "You either marry her or I won’t put out another dime."
Quick thinker that he is, Alex negotiates a dowry: Charlene’s Mercedes Benz convertible and an all-expense-paid road trip to Panama so he can marry Ramona in the presence of his beloved mother. Soon the deal is sealed and Alex finds himself headed down the Pan American Highway with his fiancée and—much to his dismay—his future mother-in-law.
Armed with maps and an assortment of emergency rations, Alex is determined to postpone their arrival in Panama and his impending nuptials. The unlikely trio has just crossed the border when two Mexican street urchins, Junior (Jaime Buffet, Jr.) and his brother Raul, join the group. And before they know it, Alex’s delaying tactics lead the motley crew into a series of dodgy and often perilous situations frequently involving pistol-waving bandits and corrupt government officials. But it’s their efforts to free Charlene’s lover—a defrocked Guatemalan priest—from jail that leads to an even more twisted turn of events! Their travels through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala introduce them to a slew of colorful characters, including a drunken boat captain and his blind first mate, and a Guatemalan police officer, who owns several whorehouses. Featuring a roguish protagonist with a distinct, humorous voice, Cut & Run: The Misadventures of Alex Perez is a satirical take on the clash of cultures between north and south of the U.S. border.
Alberto Arcia, a native of Panama, lives in Plantersville, Texas. Cut & Run: The Misadventures of Alex Perez is his first novel.
Rudy can’t believe it when his dad says he will have to watch his abuela while his parents go out. He shouldn't have to babysit his own grandmother! And he had plans to go out with his girlfriend, Juanita. His brother Manuel isn’t happy either, and won’t even consider watching Abuela alone.
Nothing has been going right since Abuela moved in. Manuel had to give up his own room and move into Rudy’s, and both boys are unhappy about losing their privacy. Abuela’s forgetfulness and weird behavior has everyone worried, and Rudy’s mom in particular spends lots of time crying.
When Abuela disappears one day, they can’t ignore the problem anymore. A trip to the doctor confirms what they feared: Abuela has Alzheimer’s. What are they going to do? They can’t lock her up, but they can’t be with her every minute of the day either.
As Rudy juggles everything going on in his senior year at Roosevelt High School, including his relationship with Juanita and his friends’ attempts to convince him to enroll in college, his feelings of guilt grow. He can’t help but wish he had his room to himself and that life would go back to the way it was before Abuela moved in.
Rudy’s Memory Walk is the eighth novel in Gloria Velásquez’s popular Roosevelt High School series, which features a multiracial group of teen aged students who must individually confront social and cultural issues (such as violence, sexuality, and prejudice) that young adults face today.
Gloria Velásquez is an internationally acclaimed author who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Latin American and Chicano Literatures. Velásquez is the author of two collections of poetry, I Used to Be aSuperwoman (Arte Público Press, 1994) and Xicana on the Run (Chusma House Publications, 2005). She is a professor in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Velásquez has also toured throughout the United States performing songs and poetry from her Superwoman ChicanaCD.
"On the first day at my new school, my teacher, Miss Soria, gave me a sticker that said René Colato. The sticker was missing my second last name. Maybe Miss Soria's pen ran out of ink. I took my pencil and added it. Now it looked right: René Colato Laínez."
Young René is from El Salvador, and he doesn't understand why his name has to be different in the United States. When he writes Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, René and Amelia. When he writes Laínez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second last name, René feels incomplete, "like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese or a hot dog without a wiener."
His new classmates giggle when René tells them his name. "That's a long dinosaur name," one says. "Your name is longer than an anaconda," another laughs. But René doesn't want to lose the part of him that comes from his mother's family. So when the students are given a project to create a family tree, René is determined to explain the importance of using both of his last names. On the day of his presentation, René explains that he is as hard working as Abuelo René, who is a farmer, and as creative as his Abuela Amelia, who is a potter. He can tell stories like his Abuelo Julio and enjoys music like his Abuela Angela.
This charming bilingual picture book for children ages 4-8 combines the winning team of author René Colato Laínez and illustrator Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, and follows their award-winning collaboration, I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño. With whimsical illustrations and entertaining text, this sequel is sure to please fans and gain many new ones while explaining an important Hispanic cultural tradition.
René Colato Laínez came to the United States from El Salvador as a teen, and he writes about his experiences in children’s books such as Waiting for Papá / Esperando a Papá (Piñata Books, 2004) and I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño (Piñata Books, 2005), which received Special Recognition in the 2006 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. His book, Playing Lotería / El juego de la lotería (Luna Rising, 2005), was a finalist in the 2007-2008 Tejas Star Book Award, was named to Críticas magazine’s “Best Children’s Books” of 2005 and received the 2008 New Mexico Book Award for Best Children’s Book. René is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults and a bilingual elementary teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, a native of Mexico City, graduated from UNAM’s National School of Fine Arts with a degree in Graphic Communication. Her work has been part of collective exhibits in Mexico and Spain. She has illustrated many picture books, including I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño (Piñata Books, 2005).
Baseball on Mars/ Béisbol en Marte Rafael Rivera, JrandTim Hoppey, Illustrations byChristina Rodriguez, Spanish Translation by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, October Roberto’s dad speaks in Spanish when he gets upset, and boy, is he unhappy today! His lucky chair—the one he sits in to watch his beloved New York Yankees play—is missing. And he needs it for the afternoon game against the Red Sox!
Roberto is excited, too. He’s about to take off to Mars on his home-made rocket ship, and his dad’s lucky chair makes a perfect pilot’s seat. When his father finds that the missing chair has become part of the rocket ship in the backyard, he grudgingly tells Roberto he can use it—for now. But it needs to be returned before game time.
Roberto’s dad is skeptical about the rocket ship. “You might have a problem getting off the ground,” he says. “You’re forgetting one little thing—you don’t have an engine!” Soon, he finds himself invited along as co-pilot. And during the exciting flight to Mars, Roberto helps his father rediscover his imagination as they experience an amazing blastoff, wayward asteroids, and even weightlessness.
When they finally land, Roberto surprises his father with two baseball gloves and a ball. “Today’s baseball game is on Mars,” he tells his dad. After spending the day playing catch, father and son realize that they speak the same language on the Red Planet. And his dad doesn’t even mind that he missed the Yankees’ game!
Children ages 4-8 will want to embark on their own mission to Mars after reading this story that combines vibrant illustrations with a touching story about a father and son’s afternoon adventure.
Rafael Rivera, Jr. was born and raised in the Bronx, the setting for this story. He is a New York City firefighter stationed in Spanish Harlem. He has two young daughters with whom he hopes to build rocket ships. He is a lifelong New York Yankees fan, but does not have a lucky chair to sit in.
Tim Hoppey is a New York City firefighter stationed in Spanish Harlem. He is the author of a bilingual picture book, Tito, the Firefighter / Tito, el bombero (Raven Tree Press, 2005). He lives on Long Island with his wife and three children.
Christina Rodriguez received her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003 and presently works as a freelance illustrator and designer. She has illustrated many children’s books, including Mayté and the Bogeyman / Mayté y el Cuco(Piñata Books, 2006), Un día con mis tías / A Day with My Aunts (Piñata Books, 2006), and Storm Codes (Windward Publishing, 2007).
_____________________________________
Thanks to RudyG for filling in the past couple of weeks.
Read and lead.
Later.
0 Comments on FALL, 2009 - ARTE PÚBLICO as of 7/10/2009 2:15:00 AM
Thank you, Annette Leal Mattern, for filling in the past four weeks. Her health-oriented articles were informative and timely; I appreciate that she shared her observations and advice with La Bloga's readers. Hey, RudyG - did you see what she had to say about smoking?
I've been doing a lot of reading and a bit of writing - not as much writing as I should but that's always the case. I hope to soon have some good news about future publications; stay tuned, as they say. One reading project I took up is to read John Updike'sRabbit novels, in order. Years ago I read Rabbit Redux - Updike's recent passing got me to thinking that this might be a good time to catch up on all four Rabbit books. I have to say that Rabbit, Run was a tough book for me to get into but now that I am finally finding a handle on Rabbit's puzzling personality, at least as much as I can in 90 pages, the book is reading quicker. I'm a very slow reader so this particular project could take me months. Where does Updike stand these days in the pantheon of twentieth century North American writers? Is he regarded as having more substance than John O'Hara or more staying power and diversity than John Cheever, but not on the same level as F. Scott Fitzgerald? Or is the jury still out?
Meanwhile ...
NEW BOOKS FROM ARTE PUBLICO (Taken from the Spring 2009 Catalog)
In Sonora, a group of immigrants circles around a coyote, Leonardo Cerda, who will—for a price—lead them across the treacherous desert to the United States. Fearful that Cerda may be one of those who will collect their money up front and then leave them stranded to die, the travelers ultimately are forced to put their trust in him and begin the dangerous crossing to a new life. Afraid even of each other, they initially avoid eye contact or conversation. But as the three-day passage across the blistering landscape progresses, the fight to survive the grueling trip ensures that their lives—and deaths—are linked forever.
While trudging along, placing one exhausted foot in front of the other, the travelers each remember their lives and the reasons they have been forced to abandon their land, homes and loved ones. Among the immigrants is Menda Fuentes, a salvadoreña, the only member of her family to survive a massacre during her country’s civil war. Then there is Julio Escalante and his young grandson Manuelito, who pay the full fee even though they plan to go only halfway. By their side is Encarnación Padilla, an ancient indigenous woman who has survived ostracism and her involvement in the Zapatista uprising. Next to her walk Nicanor and Borrego Osuna, two brothers who suffer the ultimate indignity just to make it to the United States. Finally, there is Armando Guerrero, shifty, suspicious-looking, and clearly different from the rest because of his fancy clothes as well as the mysterious bag to which he clings.
In addition to confronting their own internal demons, they must also face the dangers that they encounter on the trail: poisonous snakes, debilitating dehydration and exhaustion, and a ferocious sandstorm that tears the group apart. This riveting novel explores the lives behind the news stories and confirms Limón’s status as one of the country’s premiere Latinas writing about issues that affect us all.
This anthology of searing poetry and prose collects the famed Nuyorican's writings from the past 35 years
"Don’t believe the deadly game,"Miguel Algarin warns the elderly black Puerto Rican sitting in a park in Old San Juan, "of Northern cities paved with gold and plenty / don’t believe the fetching dream / of life improvement in New York / the only thing you’ll find in Boston / is a soft leather shoe up your ass."
In this affecting collection of poetry and prose, Nuyorican poet Miguel Algarin crafts beautifully angry, sad pieces about injustice and loss. While warning his compatriots about the unreality of the American Dream, he acknowledges that "we are the pistons that / move the roughage through Uncle / Sam’s intestines, we keep the flow / of New York happening / we are its muscles."
Algarin’s poems covering his long career give voice to the disenfranchised—the junkie, the HIV inflicted, the poverty stricken—and survival is a recurring theme. In the essay "Nuyorican Language," which was originally published in 1975, he argues that for the New York Puerto Rican, there are three survival possibilities: to work hard for little money all your life and remain in eternal debt; to live life by taking risks of all types, including killing, cheating and stealing; and to create alternative behavioral habits. The Nuyorican poet, he says, must create a new language, "A new day needs a new language or else the day becomes a repetition of yesterday."
While many of the poems focus on the Puerto Rican experience in New York, others touch on universal experiences such as the death of friends and the ephemeral nature of life. "So what if you’re dead, / I’m here, you’re gone, / and I’m left alone / to watch how time betrays, / and we die slow / so very slow." And he turns his sharp gaze on events around the world, including the fights between England and Argentina for the Falkland Islands, Israel and Palestine for the Holy Land.
With an introduction by Ernesto Quiñonez, author of the acclaimed novel Bodega Dreams, this collection takes the reader through an intimate, autobiographical journey of one of the country’s leading Nuyorican writers and intellectuals.
Of course I have to mention this anthology - again. And expect more from me dealing with this book and the contributors - I'm lining up at least one intriguing interview and hope to have more to share. For now, here's a complete list of the authors: Mario Acevedo, Lucha Corpi, Sarah Cortez, Carolina García-Aguilera, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Carlos Hernandez, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Bertha Jackson, John Lantigua, Art Muñoz, R. Narvaez, L.M. Quinn, A.E. Roman, Manuel Ramos, S. Ramos O'Briant, Steven Torres, Sergio Troncoso.
NALAC awarded over $143,000 to 22 Latino artists and 17 Latino arts and culture organizations for the 2008-2009 cycle of the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA). The NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA), is the only national arts fund specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations in the United States. READ MORE
The 2008-2009 NFA Grantees Are:
Artists: Brent Beltrán, Anna De Orbegoso, Nicolas Dumit Estevez, Nicole Elmer, Michael John Garces, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Sandra Guardado, Eren McGinnis, Esau Melendez, Abinadi Meza, Elisha Miranda, Michelle Ortiz, Sandra Pena Sarmiento, Laura Perez, Marlene Ramirez Cancio, Omar G. Ramirez, Ruben Salazar, Minerva Tapia, Juana Valdes, Vito Jesus Valdez, and Elio Villafranca
Organizations: Arte, Inc., Association of Hispanic Arts, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Calpulli Mexican Dance Co., Conjunto Heritage Taller, El Centro Su Teatro, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Fiesta DC, La Casa de la Raza, MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, The Providence Latin American Film Festival, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Serie Project, Talento Bilingüe de Houston, Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc., Teatro IATI, and Teatro Vision.
JAILBAIT ZOMBIES INVADE THE TATTERED COVER
Mario Acevedo reads from and signs his latest Felix Gomez novel, Jailbait Zombie, on March 9, 2009, at 7:30 PM at the Colfax Avenue Tattered Cover, Denver. Acevedo is a former infantry and aviation officer, engineer, art teacher to incarcerated felons, and the bestselling author of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, and The Undead Kama Sutra. In Jailbait Zombie (HarperCollins) vampire detective Gomez coming face-to-face with the worst sort of undead. To stop a ravenous army of zombies, the detective must team up with a precocious teen with clairvoyant powers whose cooperation comes at a price: she won't help unless Felix makes her a vampire - if the zombies don't get her first.
Mario's continuing signing schedule so far is:
The Paranormal Bender Tour with fantasy authors Mario Acevedo, Caitlin Kittredge, Mark Henry, and Cherie Priest:
Clark County Library, Jewel Box Theater Las Vegas, NV March 11, 2009. 7 PM ....................... Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, CA March 13, 2009. 7 PM ....................... Dark Delicacies Burbank, CA March 14, 2009. 2 PM ....................... Borderlands Books San Francisco, CA March 15, 2009. 7 PM ....................... Powell's Books Beaverton, OR March 16, 2009. 7 PM
To get you in the right mood for an evening with Mario here's his animated trailer for his new book featuring motorcycle-riding Legos, directed and animated by EmilianoAcevedo.
Zulema and the Witch Owl / Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza Written and illustrated by Xavier Garza.
ISBN 9781558855151 Published 31 May 2009 Bind Hardcover Pages 32 Price $ 15.95 Age Group 4-9
An entertaining bilingual picture book featuring a spooky character from Mexican-American folklore
Zulema Ortiz is the meanest little girl in the whole wide world. She doesn’t have any friends, animals run away from her in fear, and her mom doesn’t know what to do with her. But maybe, just maybe, her almost ninety-year-old Grandma Sabina does.
When Grandma Sabina comes to live with the family, the first thing Zulema says to her is, “You sure look old and ugly.” Grandma Sabina calmly warns her rude granddaughter about the Witch Owl who prowls the night looking for mean little children, but Zulema just laughs defiantly at such a preposterous story. Nothing scares her because she’s the meanest child in the world!
So when she gets into bed one night and something begins to tap at her window, Zulema isn’t afraid at first. She’s mad. “Nobody plays tricks on me. Only I can play tricks!” But as the noise at her window continues, the insolent little girl begins to lose her bravado. And when a huge owl with glowing red eyes smashes through the window and swoops into her room, Zulema is ready to agree to its demands—even if it means promising to be nice!
In this exciting story about the consequences of being mean to others, Zulema learns something about herself and possibly her grandmother too. The imagination of children ages 4-9 will soar with this fun, suspenseful story by acclaimed author and artist Xavier Garza, whose knack for storytelling and creating lively illustrations captures the spirit of naughty Zulema.
Triple Banana Split Boy, The / El niño goloso Written by Lucha Corpi. Illustrated by Lisa Fields.
ISBN 9781558855045 Published 31 May 2009 Bind Hardcover Pages 32 Price $ 15.95 Age Group 4-9
This bilingual picture book for children portrays one boy's struggles to overcome his insatiable sweet tooth
“How come you can have sweets and I can’t?” Enrique asks the hummingbirds as they flutter over the flowers in the garden. His craving for sugar is getting out of control, and his father has forbidden him to eat anything sweet. Enrique’s birthday is coming up and he won’t be allowed to help his grandma with her baking. It’s not fair!
Enrique’s cravings multiply by the minute. Even numbers in his math book start to look like yummy desserts. His life is over! The next day, though, he comes up with an ingenious plan to outwit his father.
Unfortunately, his mother soon catches on. But she has a plan of her own. On Mondays and Fridays only, after school, Enrique may have any dessert he likes, but none during the rest of the week. What a sweet deal!
On his first outing with his mother, Enrique orders a huge triple banana split, with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla scoops of ice cream, nuts, sprinkles and chocolate syrup. Later that night, Enrique’s stomach aches, and El Coco, a fearsome creature with a huge mouth and sticky hair, haunts his dreams.
Enrique’s mother wonders if he will ever learn to eat in moderation. Will he be able to bake with Grandma? And what about having a special treat on his birthday?
Lucha Corpi’s poetic prose is combined with Lisa Field’s enticing illustrations in this engaging story that will resonate with kids and their parents as they struggle to balance healthy eating habits with the natural desire for sweets.
Sunflowers / Girasoles Written by Gwendolyn Zepeda. Illustrated by Alisha Gambino.
ISBN 9781558852679 Published 31 May 2009 Bind Hardcover Pages 32 Price $ 15.95
This Charming bilingual picture book for children illustrates the simple joys of gardening and time spent with loved ones
“My name is Marisol. I’m seven years old. This spring, I helped my grandfather make a garden.”
First, Marisol and her grandfather had to prepare the ground. They pulled out the old plants and weeds. They mixed up all the dirt “to make it soft.”
Then it was time to plant the seeds. They planted seeds to grow the vegetables Mamá uses in soup—squash, onions, carrots, and cabbage. They planted seeds to grow the things she needs to make salsa—garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and chili peppers. They planted mint for Abuela’s tea. They planted watermelon seeds for Marisol and her brother. And for Grandad, they planted sunflower seeds because their “big black eyes with long yellow eyelashes” make him happy. And he likes to eat the seeds!
One day, Marisol’s grandfather gives her a small bag of sunflower seeds, but instead of eating them she plants them here and there—one in the corner of Mrs. Sosa’s yard, another in Mr. Binh’s yard. In fact, as she walks to school, she plants seeds in the corners of all the yards she passes. And she plants the last three seeds in the playground at school.
As the days pass, sometimes it’s rainy and sometimes it’s sunny. Finally, one bright day, Marisol’s sunflower surprise shines a bit of happiness all around.
The tender relationship between grandparent and grandchild is illuminated in this children’s book by author Gwendolyn Zepeda with warm illustrations by Alisha Gambino. Children ages 3-7 will sow and reap ideas of their own about ways to share a little joy, just as Marisol does with sunflowers.
0 Comments on New Children's Books From Piñata Books/ Arte Público Press as of 3/4/2009 2:48:00 PM
This entertaining bilingual picture book for children introduces the legendary—and usually scary—Cucuy
“The Cucuy is a tall, furry, three-eyed, four-armed monster with a mouth full of huge teeth,” Papo tells his granddaughter. And, he warns, if she doesn’t behave, the Cucuy will take her away!
She used to be afraid of the Cucuy, until one day she meets him and learns that he is not the frightful beast her grandfather described. Instead, he’s cute and likes to play. His fur is blue, and his teeth are small. He may not be just like her, but he does have two arms and two eyes. And the Cucuy also likes to play catch, blow bubbles, and eat candy. Best of all, though, the young girl learns that he doesn’t kidnap naughty children!
First-time children’s book author Claudia Galindo and illustrator Jonathan Coombs vividly bring to life a character known to generations of Latino children. Although this time, the Cucuy isn’t a scary monster but instead is a fun playmate.
CLAUDIA GALINDO attended the University of North Texas, where she received a degree in Journalism and a Masters in Education. She is currently a teacher in Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her family.
JONATHAN COOMBS, a video game artist, lives and works in Utah. This is his first children’s book.
JOHN PLUECKER received his undergraduate degree in Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies from Yale University and his master’s degree in Spanish at the University of Houston in 2007. His fiction and poetry have appeared in journals such as The Julie Mango, Alta Noche, and New Texas, and his non-fiction has appeared in Clamor Magazine and El Diario de Tampico.
Growing Up with Tamales / Los tamales de Ana by Gwendolyn Zepeda April Ward (Illustrator) Gabriela Baeza Ventura (Translator)
This charming bilingual picture book for children examines sibling rivalry and an important Hispanic tradition
“My name is Ana. Every year, my family makes tamales for Christmas. This year, I am six, so I get to mix the dough, which is made of cornmeal. My sister Lidia is eight, so she gets to spread the dough on the corn husk leaves. I wish I was eight, so that my hands would be big enough to spread the dough just right—not too thick and not too thin.”
And so the years pass, and Ana turns eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen. But every year, big sister Lidia is always two years older. Ana envies her elder sibling and wishes she could do what Lidia does: put just the right amount of meat inside the tamales and roll them up; steam the tamales without scalding herself with the hot, hot steam; chop and cook the meat for the tamales without cutting or burning her hands.
When she turns eighteen, though, Ana knows she will keep making tamales and she will be able to do all of the steps herself in her very own factory. When Christmas comes around, Ana will deliver tamales to all of her customers around the world, in delivery trucks that say “Ana’s Tamales.” And, Ana thinks, if her sister Lidia wants to, she can work for her.
Gwendolyn Zepeda’s rhythmic prose is combined with April Ward’s bright illustrations to create an affectionate and amusing story about sibling relationships that introduces an important Hispanic holiday tradition—making tamales!
GWENDOLYN ZEPEDA is the author of a collection of short prose, To the Last Man I Slept with and All the Jerks Just Like Him (Arte Público Press, 2004), and a novel, Houston, We Have a Problema (Solana, 2009). She was one of the founding staff writers of Television Without Pity (www.televisionwithoutpity.com), writing weekly entertainment pieces for over five million readers. Her essays have appeared on HipMama magazine’s site and others. She has written and illustrated her award-winning website, www.gwenworld.com, since 1997. She currently resides in Houston with her three sons.
APRIL WARD is the illustrator of Butterflies on Carmen Street / Mariposas en la calle Carmen (Piñata Books, 2007) and Juan and the Chupacabras / Juan y el Chupacabras (Piñata Books, 2006). Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and has been working in children’s book publishing ever since. She currently lives in San Diego, California.
Several Bilingual Picture Books for Children Now Available in Paperback!
Big Enough / Bastante grande by Ofelia Dumas Lachtman. Illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez.
Family, Familia by Diane Gonzales Bertrand. Illustrated Pauline Rodriguez.
Tomasa the Cow / La vaca Tomasa written and illustrated by Pietrapiana
The Desert Is My Mother / El desierto es mi madre by Pat Mora. Illustrated by Daniel Lechon.
When I was growing up in Boyle Heights and East L.A.,My parents warned me not to go out at night because 'El Cooqui" might get me and take me away to work in the stinky onion fields. They never told me what he looked like, so I just had to be careful of everyone, after dark.
I'm glad to have a description of "El Cucuy" and even how to spell his name correctly, thanks to this new book! Also, how clever to make it a Hispanic version of "Beauty and the Beast!"
Speaking pedagogically, though, doesn't this teach children that 'Cucuys' such as drugged-up pedophiles, might still be fun playmates? I'm just saying, that's all.
When I was growing up in Boyle Heights and East L.A.,My parents warned me not to go out at night because 'El Cooqui" might get me and take me away to work in the stinky onion fields. They never told me what he looked like, so I just had to be careful of everyone, after dark.
I'm glad to have a description of "El Cucuy" and even how to spell his name correctly, thanks to this new book! Also, how clever to make it a Hispanic version of "Beauty and the Beast!"
Speaking pedagogically, though, doesn't this teach children that 'Cucuys' such as drugged-up pedophiles, might still be fun playmates? I'm just saying, that's all.
nlf
great! thanks very much for sharing!