September is Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month!
By Katilyn Thomas
September 15 through October 15 marks Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, a celebration of the rich and diverse cultures and countless contributions of Hispanic and Latinx people to the world at large. To honor the month ahead with your children, we’ve pulled together five inspiring Latinx books for kids that were created by Latinx authors and illustrators. From kid-friendly bios on inspiring historical figures to fiction books showcasing Latinx kids just being kids, we encourage you to find a place for these titles (many of them featuring bilingual text) on your bookshelf—this month and always!
Yo’ mama so sweet, she could be a bakery. She dresses so fine, she could have a clothing line. And, even when you mess up, she’s so forgiving, she lets you keep on living. Heartwarming and richly imagined, Your Mama twists an old joke into a point of pride that honors the love, hard work, and dedication of mamas everywhere.
Sharing his own experiences, René Colato Laínez’s moving bilingual picture book brings to life the experiences of many young children who make the arduous journey from Central America to the United States in search of a better life.
This lovingly-illustrated picture book memoir looks at the myriad gifts migrantes bring with them when they leave their homes. It’s a story about family and it’s a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own strengths wherever we roam. Beautiful and powerful at any time but given particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless.
Told with a combination of powerful, spare language and sumptuous and complex imagery that is typical of Yuyi Morales’s work, this is the story of a fawn making her way through a border landscape teaming with flora and fauna native to the region. A gentle but empowering voice encourages her to face her fears when she comes across an obstacle in the form of an insurmountable barrier.
Everyone wants to give the baby besos, and after reading this bilingual board book, you’ll want to give your little sweetie one, too. A perfect way to introduce your tot to simple Spanish words that they can practice on their own, this will be your little one’s favorite bedtime story.
