Chicano Author’s First Picture Book Honored

A Lizard's Tale

Chicano Author’s First Picture Book Honored

HOUSTON, TX—Chicano author Daniel Chacón’s first book for children, Gecko Girl / Lagartijita (ISBN 979-8-89375-014-0, hardcover, $18.95), is the winner of the 2025 Salinas de Alba Award for Latino Children’s Literature. Forthcoming May 31, 2025, this whimsical bilingual picture book for ages 4-8 contains Steven James Petruccio’s beautiful illustrations of the gecko girl and the creatures she meets on her journey of discovery.

Image
According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, just 379 of the 3,203 children’s books it received that were published in the United States in 2023 were written by Latinos; only 291 were about Latinos. Diversity statistics for 2024 are not yet available. The Salinas de Alba Award seeks to stimulate the work begun by Arte Público Press and its imprint, Piñata Books, which is dedicated to the publication of children’s and young adult literature that authentically and realistically portrays themes, characters and customs unique to US Hispanic culture. In addition to the publication of the book and royalties from sales, Chacón will receive a $5,000 prize. Submissions for the award are accepted year-round.
Image
This award is named after Hermila Lidia Salinas de Alba (1921-2017), a mother, grandmother and primary schoolteacher who loved children and reading. Born and raised in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Hermila was educated at the Escuela Normal in Saltillo, Coahuila, and taught at a primary school in Piedras Negras. She married Samuel Alba in 1943 and together they raised 10 children. In addition to various business ventures in Piedras Negras, they pursued migrant farm work in Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho before settling in Salt Lake City, Utah. She stressed the importance of education and left a legacy of love and lifelong learning for her nine surviving children, 33 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Daniel Chacón is the author of a novel for young adults, The Cholo Tree  (Piñata Books, 2017), and several for adults. A professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, this is his first book for children.

Arte Público Press is the nation’s largest and most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by US Hispanic authors. Its imprint for children and young adults, Piñata Books, is dedicated to the authentic portrayal of the themes, languages, characters and customs of Hispanic culture in the United States. Books published under the imprint serve as a bridge connecting home and school to support family literacy and elementary education. Based at the University of Houston, Arte Público Press, Piñata Books and the Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage project provide the most widely recognized and extensive showcase for Hispanic literary arts and creativity.  For more information, please visit www.artepublicopress.com.

Image

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *