Book Nook-Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month

If Dominican Were a Color

by Sili Recio (Author) Brianna McCarthy (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

The colors of Hispaniola burst into life in this striking, evocative debut picture book that celebrates the joy of being Dominican.

If Dominican were a color, it would be the sunset in the sky, blazing red and burning bright.

If Dominican were a color, it’d be the roar of the ocean in the deep of the night, With the moon beaming down rays of sheer delight.

The palette of the Dominican Republic is exuberant and unlimited. Maize comes up amarillo, the blue-black of dreams washes over sandy shores, and people’s skin can be the shade of cinnamon in cocoa or of mahogany. This exuberantly colorful, softly rhyming picture book is a gentle reminder that a nation’s hues are as wide as nature itself.

From My Window

by Otavio Junior (Author) Vanina Starkoff (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

What do you see from your window? This #OwnVoices picture book from Brazil offers a first-hand view of what children growing up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro see everyday. A vibrant and diverse celebration of urban community living, brought to life by unique, colorful illustrations that juxtapose brick buildings with lush jungle plants.

Havana (Vámonos Bilingual English/Spanish)

by Patty Rodriguez (Author) Ana Godinez (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Series: Lil’ Libros

Learn about Havana, the capital of Cuba, through illustrations and words that will teach children about the world in English and Spanish. Let’s take a trip around the world with VÁMONOS. In this colorful new series by Lil’ Libros, each book celebrates the sights, sounds, and people of a different city both in English and Spanish. Through adventurous illustrations, make a quick trip to Havana on the island of Cuba to play a little game of dominos with the abuelitos. Discover with your children what makes each city fantastic and special. With simple text by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, and colorful illustrations by Lil’ Libros’ very own Ana Godinez, each book will have your little ones celebrating the world, fostering empathy, and seeing that there are a million ways to live on this planet!

My Two Border Towns

by David Bowles (Author) Erika Meza (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

A picture book debut by an award-winning author about a boy’s life on the U.S.-Mexico border, visiting his favorite places on The Other Side with his father, spending time with family and friends, and sharing in the responsibility of community care.

This is  the loving story of a father and son’s weekend ritual, a demonstration of community care, and a tribute to the fluidity, complexity, and vibrancy of life on the U.S.-Mexico border. Available in English and Spanish.

Octopus Stew

by Eric Velasquez (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

What do you do when an octopus captures Grandma? Put on your superhero cape and rescue her! This clever picture book tells two stories in one, from award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez.

The octopus Grandma is cooking has grown to titanic proportions. “¡Tenga cuidado!” Ramsey shouts. “Be careful!” But it’s too late. The octopus traps Grandma! Ramsey uses both art and intellect to free his beloved abuela. Then the story takes a surprising twist. And it can be read two ways. Open the fold-out pages to find Ramsey telling a story to his family. Keep the pages folded, and Ramsey’s octopus adventure is real.

This beautifully illustrated picture book, drawn from the author’s childhood memories, celebrates creativity, heroism, family, grandmothers, grandsons, Puerto Rican food, Latinx culture and more.

With an author’s note and the Velasquez family recipe for Octopus Stew! A Bank Street Best Book of the Year.

Juana and Lucas (Juana and Lucas #1)

by Juana Medina (Author) Juana Medina (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Series: Juana and Lucas

Juana loves many things — drawing, eating Brussels sprouts, living in Bogotá, Colombia, and especially her dog, Lucas, the best amigo ever. She does not love wearing her itchy school uniform, solving math problems, or going to dance class. And she especially does not love learning the English. Why is it so important to learn a language that makes so little sense?

But when Juana’s abuelas tell her about a special trip they are planning–one that Juana will need to speak English to go on–Juana begins to wonder whether learning the English might be a good use of her time after all. Hilarious, energetic, and utterly relatable, Juana will win over los corazones — the hearts — of readers everywhere in her first adventure, presented by namesake Juana Medina.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music

by Margarita Engle (Author) Rafael Lopez (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule–until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese African Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

With Lots of Love

by Jenny Torres Sanchez (Author) André Ceolin (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A beautiful, lyrical story about a girl who moves from her home in Central America to the United States, and everything she leaves behind and longs for–especially her Abuela–as she makes a new life.

Rocio has grown up in Central America, but now she and her family are moving to the United States. Rocio does her best to adjust to a new way of living, but there are many things she misses from her old life–Abuela’s cooking, Abuela’s pinata creations, Abuela’s warm hugs, and of course, Abuela herself most of all. But Abuela finds a way to send Rocio something special just in time for her birthday–a gift wrapped with lots of love–and that fills Rocio to the brim.

Wish Upon a Stray: A Wish Novel

by Yamile Saied Méndez (Author)

Reading Level: 4th – 5th Grade

Series: Wish

A heartwarming and authentic immigration story about a stray dog, the power of music, and celebrating old traditions along with new beginnings, by Pura Belpre Award-winning author Yamile Saied Méndez.

María Emilia’s life turns upside-down when she and her family immigrate from Argentina to the US. How can she make new friends when simply speaking English all day is exhausting?

Luckily, she has the company of a stray dog in the neighborhood, who happens to look and act just like her beloved pet cat back home. Eventually, it turns out the pup isn’t a stray after all — she belongs to María Emilia’s new neighbor, Donovan. In order to spend more time with the dog (who totally isn’t her reincarnated cat… right?), she agrees to sing in Donovan’s band. But can Emilia find her new voice without losing herself?

Chupacarter (Chupacarter #1)

by George Lopez (Author) Santy Gutierrez (Illustrator)

Series: Chupacarter

With his signature laugh-out-loud humor, world-famous comedian George Lopez launches a fantastical middle grade series inspired by his own colorful childhood and Latinx folklore.

In this illustrated contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Jorge is lonely and resentful after being sent to live with his grandparents. His first day at his new school doesn’t go well after catching the attention of his belligerent principal and the school bullies, so Jorge might be a little desperate for a friend. But the only kid who shares his interest in junk food and games turns out to be a young chupacabra–a legendary monster whose kind is known for being bloodthirsty livestock killers. The truth is, Carter is anything but savage–he’s kind, a good listener, and has great taste in sneakers. Being friends with a mythical creature should be amazing, but when local cattle turn up dead and his principal suspects the truth, Jorge is torn. Should he trust that his friend is innocent and protect him from exposure, or reveal his dangerous existence and change the world forever?

Sharuko El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello: Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello (Bilingual Book Spanish/English)

by Monica Brown (Author) Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th – 5th Grade

A fascinating bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru’s ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country’s Indigenous history.

Growing up in the late 1800s, Julio Tello, an Indigenous boy, spent time exploring the caves and burial grounds in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes. Nothing scared Julio, not even the ancient human skulls he found. His bravery earned him the boyhood nickname Sharuko, which means brave in Quechua, the language of the Native people of Peru.

Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares (Paola Santiago #2)

by Tehlor Mejia (Author)

Reading Level: 4th – 5th Grade

Series: Paola Santiago

Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she’d expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what’s worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can’t escape the feeling that she’s all alone in the world. Pao has no one to tell that she’s having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling?

At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante’s abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman. Pao’s search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?

Once again Tehlor Kay Mejia draws on her Mexican heritage to tell a wild and wondrous story that combines creatures from folklore with modern-day challenges.