New Summer with SAPL Paleta character released every Monday in June and July!
This summer visit your local Library every week to collect a new Paleta character bookmark.* Characters will be announced each week on Mondays beginning June 5.
Every character has their own unique backstory and recommended reading lists based on their interests.
*While supplies last.
June 5
Meet Dream-Sicle!
June 12
Meet Marin!
June 19
Meet Kit!
June 26
Meet Space-Sicle!
July 3
Meet Cricket!
July 10
Meet Picasso-Pop!
July 17
Meet Robo-Pop!
July 24
Meet Hero-Pop!
He’s a cold treat in a hot city. One day, Glen Frost was chilling with his friends when he accidentally ate a radioactive chili pepper. The heat from the radioactive chili pepper and the frost from his paleta body fused together in a perfect combination within him, so now he has the power to both freeze and melt on contact. When he wears his mask, the world knows him as Hero-Pop. Hero-Pop always uses his powers to help his community and to stop villains in their tracks. When the day has been saved, Hero-Pop likes to settle down in his Ice Lair with a graphic novel.
Robo-pop has always loved playing outside. There’s just one problem – summers in San Antonio are way too hot for a paleta to leave their ice chest! One day when Robo-pop was reading a book on building ice chests, it dawned on her. She could build a custom Robotic ice chest suit that would help her to keep cool. Now Robo-pop puts on her robot suit during the summer so she can play in the sun all day. When she gets back to her ice chest, she reads more books on building and engineering so she can continue to perfect her suit.
“Todo lo que puedes imaginar es real,” Picasso-Pop repeats to himself anytime he needs a boost of inspiration. Ever since he was a tiny pop, Picasso-Pop could feel creative energy coursing through every crystal of his being. He knew his mission in life was to create, and to share his creations with the world—just like the famous Spanish artist for whom he was named. When genius strikes, Picasso-Pop gets straight to work with canvas, paint, clay, paper, whatever is near enough to turn his vision into reality. “It’s true,” Picasso-Pop mutters to himself as he works. “If you can imagine it—it’s real.”
Cricket is a fun-loving, high energy paleta who loves playing all kinds of sports! Cricket has a hard time sitting still and their mind tends to wander, but once they hit the court, Cricket can focus on shooting hoops, hitting home runs, running track, and scoring goals! Cricket is a team player who knows that playing sports for fun is more important than winning or losing. This has helped Cricket make tons of great friends on the court, who enjoy playing any sport Cricket wants to try out next! And of course, Cricket cheers for all the San Antonio home teams -- Go Spurs, Missions, and Rampage! When visiting the library, Cricket loves checking out books on sports to share with the team. I think they’re going to play volleyball next!
*Bzzz* “This is Pop Control to Spacesicle…you’re leaving orbit now…Paleteans hope you know they wish you well…now set course inside the wormhole, if you dare…”
*Beep* “This is Spacesicle to Pop Control…I’m cruising through it now…moving faster in the most peculiar way…now the stars look very different...oh my—!”
These were the last transmissions that the far-off icy planet of Paletea Prime shared with their brave Spacesicle explorer, Cosmic Commander Breeze Chillstrong, before her spaceship was suddenly pulled into a strange wormhole and warped across light-years to safely crash-land in San Antonio’s Riverwalk on planet Earth. Commander Chillstrong began exploring this new world and has since found other earthling-paletas to befriend. Although the paleta-melting summer heat of San Antonio makes outdoors risky, she is determined to read and learn more about the solar system, astronomy, planetary ecosystems and changing climate of this planet so that she can find ways to improve her new home world.
An animal lover through and through, Kit loves creatures of every sort. From the natural wildlife in Texas like coyotes, bobcats, and armadillos to exotic creatures like kangaroos, lions, and tigers, Kit just can’t get enough. Her absolute favorite animal is the koala. Kit loves visiting the zoo whenever it isn’t too hot out. She must be careful of melting! Her lifelong dream is to go to Australia to volunteer at a koala sanctuary where she can help koalas to her little paleta heart’s content. For now, Kit’s happy to learn as much as possible about koalas and all kinds of animals by reading about them.
Outdoorsy. Outdoors. Not only are those Marin’s favorite words, outdoorsy is how to describe Marin and outdoors is where you’ll find Marin. Ever since Marin was a wee paleta, hiking, boating, kayaking or rappelling down rocky cliffs filled this little paleta with joy. Marin’s paleta family always spends summer vacations together having adventures camping and visiting Texas parks, and this tradition ignited a life-long passion. As much as Marin would like to be outside ALL THE TIME, the weather doesn’t always cooperate, school is in session, or a comfy bed just sounds nice – and Marin curls up with a good action and adventure book.
The first time Dream-Sicle saw a mythical creature, she was hooked! Dream-sicle's parents are famous mythical creature adventurers, and Dream-sicle has been on many exciting trips with them. Together they have gone skiing with yetis, played water volleyball with sea monsters and gone on a deep-sea treasure hunt with mermaids. Dream-sicle's lifelong dream has been to find a unicorn, but so far, those magical creatures have been hard to find. When Dream-sicle takes a break from the mythical creature adventures she curls up with a good book about mythical creatures so she can help her parents and someday find that elusive unicorn!