Writing Books with Carolyn Flores

A lonely pet fish longs to know what exists in the world beyond her bowl. "I wish I could see over there / Behind the wall, / Behind the chair." She imagines a giant tree, a wooly goat and a purple sea. She wonders if there could be someone out there who looks like her, so she leans close to the glass and hears some fish-like cries! "Hello? Is someone there?" she hears. "Are you a bird? / Are you a bee? Or are you a fish with fins like me?" She realizes there's another fish close by and his name is Mike!When Mike asks what her world is like, the amazing watercolor fish has a great idea. "I'll show Mike what I think could be!" Using watercolors, she paints a picture of a world with trees and swirling rainbows. Every day she paints more, "birds that swim, / ships with wings, / and books that do all sorts of things!" Then Mike uses his paint to illustrate more "than just the water and the door."In this fun, bilingual picture book with a lyrical Spanish translation by former Texas Poet Laureate Carmen Tafolla, two pet fish imagine a beautiful, mysterious world beyond their bowls. Children ages 4-8 will love following the progression of Carolyn Dee Flores' gorgeous illustrations from black and white to full color as the fish become friends. Kids will be inspired to imagine-and maybe even paint or write about-a world beyond the one they know.

"When our father cooks, tacos become magic tricks," Diane Gonzales Bertrand writes in the title poem of this collection for young people. "Like a magic wand, / he stirs circles through the frying pan, / Like a magic cape, he wraps a tortilla / around our wishes." In her introduction, "A Taste for Poetry," she exhorts adults to introduce kids to verse. By helping them discover moments and memories through words, she says "tiny roots of curiosity, / tender wings of knowledge" will grow.Gonzales Bertrand writes about everyday occurrences and feelings that children will recognize. In "Blankie," a blanket sewn before the girl's birth kept her safe and warm for years. She can't take it to school now, but at home she still wraps it around herself, "even though it won't / cover my toes and my shoulders at the same time." There's also an ode to chanclas, or flip-flops, "Narrow rubber soles / protect my bare feet / from hot sidewalks." They even clap for her when she walks!The importance of family shines through in pieces such as "My Little Sister," "Fishing with My Uncle Charlie," "Abuelita's Kitchen Table" and "Tía María's Love." In "The Sailor of Woodlawn Lake," she remembers her brother's determination to create boats that would stay afloat. "I would love to say / he finally sailed across Woodlawn Lake, / but each raft slowly sank, / a few at the shore, one or two in the middle." The poems in this collection will encourage children ages 8-12 to consider writing odes to the important people and places in their own lives.

When Teresita opens her eyes that morning, she knows it's a special day. It's her birthday, and now she's a big girl. She's seven! And her Tío Ramón has promised her a surprise. She can't wait to find out what it is!"Is it time for Tío Ramón to come to our block?" she asks her mamá excitedly as she sits down for breakfast. But it's too early. Her uncle has to take his snow cone cart to the other blocks before he comes to theirs. All day, Teresita watches for the green and white cart. She listens for Tío Ramón calling, "Snow cones, cold snow cones. ¡Piraguas! ¡Piraguas frías!"While she waits for her uncle, she jumps rope, plays games with her friends and watches the goings-on in her neighborhood. Mothers hold their young children's hands as they walk to the corner bodega to buy groceries. Boys and girls ride bikes and play stickball. Older people sit at their windows and enjoy the sights and sounds of their community. And coming from far up the block where water sprays from an open fire hydrant, Teresita finally hears the sound of her uncle's voice. What will her surprise be?!?Set in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York City, this bilingual picture book for children ages 4 - 8 captures both the daily life of an urban community and a child's excitement about her birthday surprise. Children will be inspired to look at--and maybe even write about--their own neighborhoods with new eyes.

"Today is my birthday, and I am so excited. / One pinata filled with candy. / Two hours until the party. / Three tables set for all of the guests." Mateo counts to twelve as he anticipates the fun he'll have at his party!There will be family, friends and lots of goodies for the children: tops, marbles and even toy cars! But before the children can hit the pinata, they will sing the birthday boy a song and enjoy eating a delicious cake. And then Mateo will be "the happiest boy in the whole wide world," because he gets to swing at the pinata first with everyone cheering him on: ¡Dale! ¡Dale! ¡Dale!Acclaimed kids' book author René Saldana, Jr. creates another winner with his first picture book, illustrated in vibrant colors by Carolyn Dee Flores, for children ages 4 to 8. Kids will relish practicing their counting skills while dreaming about hitting a piñata at their very own fun-filled fiesta.

Based on a traditional folk song that has been sung by parents and children in Spanish-speaking countries for generations, Canta, Rana, canta / Sing, Froggie, Sing is a charming tale in which a "frog was sitting under the water, when she decided to croak out loud." But a fly came along and "hushed her mouth." When the fly decided to buzz out loud, "along came a spider and hushed her mouth."In each verse, an insect or animal larger than the one in the previous stanza hushes the smaller one. So the fly hushes the frog, the spider hushes the fly, the mouse the spider, the cat the mouse and so on. The book's cumulative structure encourages kids to practice their memorization skills while becoming familiar with animals and the sounds they make.This bilingual edition contains an updated version of the original Spanish, a first-ever English translation and the musical annotation of the folksong. With animals, people and music whimsically depicted by illustrator Carolyn Dee Flores, this book will inspire a new generation to discover a unique cultural tradition.

This poetry anthology, edited by Miranda Paul, explores a wide range of ways to be grateful (from gratitude for a puppy to gratitude for family to gratitude for the sky) with poems by a diverse group of contributors, including Joseph Bruchac, Margarita Engle, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, and Jane Yolen.