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Use our Book Finder tool to create your own customized list of fiction and nonfiction books. Search through more than 5,000 books on Reading Rockets — by author, illustrator, age, reading level, genre, format, and topic.
A Birthday Basket for Tía
Cecilia and her cat, Chica, create a special birthday present for her great-aunt's 90th birthday — a basket filled with things Cecilia and her tía have shared. This affectionate autobiographical story is illustrated with warm colors, suggestive of Mexican American traditions.
Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites
Cynthia Weill's book of Mexican folk art teaches kids about opposites in Spanish and English! These whimsical little animals from Oaxaca, carved and painted by hand, make learning about opposites fun. Up and down, tall and short, left and right — all inside a beautiful book.
Borreguita and the Coyote
Left alone to graze, Borreguita outsmarts the fierce coyote who thinks the small lamb would be a tasty lunch. This tale from Ayutla, Mexico, is retold with sly humor and illustrated with dramatic, full color illustrations.
Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale & Counting Book
What's an old woman to do when a skeleton comes to visit? Keep him waiting, of course, while busy doing things from 1 to 10, culminating in a festive birthday celebration. Lively language and illustrations make this original tale memorable.
Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English
Using the alphabet as a pattern, paintings and brief poems explore rural life in Mexico presented first in Spanish and followed by English. From A to Z, brilliant illustrations and fluid poems evoke the plants, and more and the emotional impact on the lives of farm workers.
La Boda: A Mexican Wedding Celebration
Maria looks to her grandmother to explain the rituals and traditions she observes at her first wedding. Their conversation, sprinkled with Spanish words, is carried by the evocative illustrations that depict this Zapotec Indian wedding celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico. A helpful Spanish glossary and an introduction to Zapotec culture and religion are included.
The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote
Coyote howls at the moon because of a small, smart, and very tricky rabbit. This lively retelling of an Oaxacan (Mexico) tale has familiar elements like rabbit becoming stuck on a farmer made of sticky beeswax. The energetic tale is complemented by illustrations reminiscent of folk art.
Papi's Gift
Graciella's father leaves his family to pick fruit far away, but calls every Sunday. The surprise he sends for Graciella's seventh birthday is lost as is the child's hope of seeing Papi — at least temporarily. This realistic, universally appealing story told from the child's point of view is gently illustrated.
The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred
In the playful cadence of "The House that Jack Built, "a pot stirred by a maiden and her farm animals is used to create a tasty arroz con leche. Spanish words are used throughout but will be easily understood by all. A recipe and glossary complete this cheery, rhythmic tale.
Colores de la Vida
Animal sculptures on carefully composed pages with the color words provide a fine introduction to colors, color words in Spanish and English, and Mexican folk art.
