THE TRIPLE BANANA SPLIT BOY/EL NIÑO GOLOSO

Enrique’s insatiable sweet tooth is getting out of control and his dad has forbidden him to eat anything sweet. His birthday is coming and Enrique won’t be allowed to help his grandmother with her baking. Since his father has forbidden to eat anything sweet, Enrique comes up with a plan to trick his father’s. Soon his mother catches him up and prepare a plan of her own . Enrique is allow to have desserts only on Mondays and Fridays after school.
Following Monday when they visited the ice cream parlor, 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 is having terrible stomach aches and El Coco , a frightening creature with a huge mouth and sticky hair, haunts his dreams. Vibrant colors, and great facial expressions. Ages 4-9. Written by Lucha Corpi, illustrated by Lisa Fields.

THE GINGERBREAD MAN/EL HOMBRE DE PAN DE JENGIBRE

This classic story is about an old man and an old woman who make a gingerbread cookie in the shape of a man. The gingerbread man comes to life and runs from all those who try to catch him in order to make a little tasty snacks out of him. This beautifully illustrated classic tale – retold in English and Spanish will capture children’s imagination page after page.

For readers Kindergarten, 5-6. Retold by Catherine Mc Cafferty, illustrated by Doug Bowles.

DANCE, NANA, DANCE (BAILA, NANA, BAILA)

This is a collection of 13 bilingual folktales in English and Spanish from Cuban folklore, representing the cultures of Spain, Africa and the Caribbean. Called "Baila, Nana, Baila", it offers the readers a variety of humorous and colorful characters, such as a yam that terrifies the bravest man in the army, a boy who can never remember what his mother wants from the store, an old lady who can dance for days, and the man who had never done a day’s work in his life.

A good read-aloud, written by Joe Hayes and illustrated by Mauricio Trenard Sagayo.
Ages 9-12.

TORTUGA IN TROUBLE

This story is a variation of Little Red Riding Hood. Tortuga is bringing a delicious supper to his abuela. Iguana, Conejo and Culebra are following him. But they’re not the only ones who want to steal his dinner. Coyote has his own dinner plans for Tortuga and his grandmother.Includes a glossary of Spanish words used. Full color and funny story written by Ann Whitford Paul, illustrated by Ethan Long.

Kindergarten, ages 5-6

HOW TO BECOME A STAR

Striking bilingual English/Spanish Yoruba myth in which the author explains the origins of comets and stars. Oloyou, the cat, the very first creature that the God-child creates, is also the very first friend. God-child and Oloyou play together for hours on end, until one day the cat falls into the kingdom of ferocious Okun Aro, the Sea. Oloyou is terribly lonely until he meets Aro's mermaid daughter Kandili and falls madly in love with her. Infuriated by the disertion of his friend, Okun Aro throws the lovers up into the heavens where they turn into stars in the night sky.


A good humoured read-aloud tale in both English and Spanish languages, written by Teresa Cardenas and illustrated by Margarita Sada. Ages 4-10.

A CAT'S LIFE IN EAST L.A.

Chato is a hungry “low-riding” cat from East Los Angeles, whose new neighbors are a family of tasty mice. At first, the mice are afraid of Chato, but he pretends to be friendly and invites the family to dinner. Chato and his equally hungry friend Novio Boy are delighted that so many mice are coming to be their dinner and they prepare a huge fancy feast to accompany the main course. Both cats are very surprised at the mice family's special guest! CHATO'S KITCHEN by Gary Soto does a wonderful job of integrating the multilingual heritage of Chato and the other characters throughout the book. Especially helpful is the glossary at the front of the book, explaining certain Spanish words that appear at various times in the book, and also describes some of the food Chato and Novio Boy prepare for the feast. A great story for 2nd - 4th grades .

WRITING WITHOUT WORDS

Juno lives with his parents and a dog named Sam. His grandmother lives far away in Seoul, Korea, but she writes him letters. Juno cannot read the words she writes as they are in Korean, but he knows what it says because of the items that accompany the letter. When Juno decides to write a letter in return, he draws pictures of his life and sends a leaf from his swinging tree. Juno learns to interpret meaning through a language outside of writing. Even though they don't speak the same language, they can still communicate with images from the world around them. DEAR JUNO by Soyung Pak is a beautiful story for pre-k through 3rd grade.

LEARN SPANISH FROM A GAME?

In PLAYING LOTERIA by Rene Colato Lainez a young boy feels inadequate when he speaks Spanish to his grandmother, bringing out a common problem for children and grandchildren of immigrants. This bi-lingual title will help readers to learn how to overcome a language barrier by working hard to learn the native language of their family members.

For readers in grades 1 to 3.