Eric Velasquez is, bar none, of my favorite children's book illustrators. His paintings are luminous, and their realism lends an almost documentary-like quality to his work. We will discuss Velasquez's work more than once during this Puerto Rican Kid Lit Month, but let us begin with the two books that garnered him well-deserved notice as … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Eric Velasquez and His Grandma
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: A Surprise for Teresita/Una sorpresa para Teresita
It is the morning of Teresita's seventh birthday. Although she is looking forward to now being a "big girl" as her mother says, Teresita is most excited about the special surprise she knows her Tío Ramón will have for her. What will it be? But it will be a while before she finds out, as … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: A Surprise for Teresita/Una sorpresa para Teresita
#WorldKidLit Month 2020 Translation Recommendation: Por ahí viene el huracán
This September marks the third anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Maria on the island of Puerto Rico. By now much has been written on the impact of the storm, the devastation it wrought, and the objectively inadequate response to the ensuing humanitarian crisis. Puerto Ricans continue to wrestle with the psychological, emotional, and economic … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020 Translation Recommendation: Por ahí viene el huracán
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Luci Soars
Released just this past month, Luci Soars is the newest book by prolific author and illustrator Lulu Delacre. Born in Puerto Rico to Argentine parents, Delacre knew early in her career as an artist that she wanted to illustrate children's books. Rest assured that this is in no way the last time that will discuss … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Luci Soars
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: A New Kind of Wild
Published just this year, A New Kind of Wild is a delightful, imaginative picture book. Inspired by her father's stories of growing up in Puerto Rico, author and illustrator Zara González Hoang has given readers a luminous piece of Puerto Rican Kid Lit. I haven't yet had the chance to give this book to my … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: A New Kind of Wild
#WorldKidLitWednesday: The Visitor
Elise is scared of everything, even trees, so she never ventures out. Her house is spotless and totally devoid of color until the day a pale blue paper airplane flies through an open window, bringing with it a shaft of light from the outside world. Then Emil, a young boy dressed in bright red and … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: The Visitor
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Across the Bay
Across the Bay by Carlos Aponte As an early childhood literacy specialist, I read a lot of picture books. It is part of my job to know what kinds of books are out there for early readers, and how parents can share these books with their children. I am, of course, particularly interested in diverse … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Across the Bay
#WorldKitLit Month September 2020: Spotlight Puerto Rico
If you will indulge me, let me begin this first blog post of Puerto Rican Kid Lit Month with an anecdote about Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. Apparently, the Nobel Prize winner and master expositor of magical realism—where the fantastical meets the everyday—was once asked why he had never written about Puerto Rico. "If I … Continue reading #WorldKitLit Month September 2020: Spotlight Puerto Rico
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Along the Tapajós
How about traveling somewhere exciting and new from the comfort and safety of your home? Picture books are a wonderful way for readers of all ages to experience different places, cultures, people and stories. And Along the Tapajós certainly fits the bill. Written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela and translated from the Portuguese by Daniel … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Along the Tapajós
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Poems the Wind Blew in
Sometimes it’s the little observations that spark the imagination and inspire readers to look anew at the world around them. Written by well-known Spanish poet Karmelo C. Iribarren and translated by Lawrence Schimel, this slim book of illustrated children’s poems is a source of wonder and enjoyment for children ages 6 and up. Iribarren invites … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Poems the Wind Blew in
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 