HOUSTON, TX— The Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (ANLE) and the University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA) recognized four bilingual children’s picture books with honorable mentions in various categories for the 2024 Campoy-Ada Award. Established in 2017, the prize celebrates books in Spanish for children and young adults published in the US and Puerto Rico; there are 12 categories with Latino-centered and universal themes that promote multicultural understanding.
Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length / El cabello de Abuela le llega hasta los tobillos, written by Adriana Camacho-Church and illustrated by Carmen Lop, and Tierra, Tierrita / Earth, Little Earth by Jorge Argueta with illustrations by Felipe Ugalde Alcántara, were recognized for universal themes in the children’s narrative and children’s poetry categories, respectively. Xequina María Berbér’s Pedro and the Monster Eaters / Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos, illustrated by C. Rod. Unalt, and Mariano’s First Glove / El primer guante de Mariano, written and illustrated by Robert Casilla, were honorably mentioned for the Latino-themed category of children’s nonfiction.
All four books have received praise from critics:
“In this bilingual story told in English and Spanish, a child sees magic, beauty and wonder in a beloved grandmother’s hair. This lyrical story makes clear that self-love can be passed down and taught through generations. With time and encouragement, young people can become as strong and powerful as those they admired when they were young. Vibrant and expressive illustrations filled with swirling, vivid linework emphasize the bonds between family members and make references to Mesoamerican ancestry and gods. Both characters are brown-skinned and cued Latine. A gentle lullaby: poetic, sweet, and moving.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length / El cabello de Abuela le llega hasta los tobillos
“As in the
author’s previous three books in this series, an artful resonance flows through the verse. The message is clear: Respect for all life is imperative for our continued existence. Readers will be left stirred; educators and caregivers will find plenty of opportunities to spark discussion about the natural world. A welcome invitation to ponder the totality of nature—and our place within it.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Tierra, Tierrita / Earth, Little Earth
“Kids will relate to Pedro’s story, seeing themselves as contributors to their family’s day-to-day life, struggling with nightmares and using creativity and art to solve a conflict. Unalt strikes a great balance, making parts of the story truly terrifying and showing how the otherworldly alebrijes sprang from the boy’s imagination. Pedro and his family have brown skin. VERDICT: An engaging and bright treatment of a Mexican sculptor that will inspire burgeoning artists, purchase this bilingual book for elementary collections.”
—School Library Journal on Pedro and the Monster Eaters / Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos
“An inspirational picture book biography sharing the story of Mariano Rivera, former baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees. The realistic illustrations depict not only his life but the many hours he spent practicing; the bilingual English and Spanish text provide interesting and inspiring details about his life. VERDICT: An excellent picture book biography, sure to encourage children to work hard to follow their dreams.”
—School Library Journal on Mariano’s First Glove / El primer guante de Mariano
Tierra, Tierrita / Earth, Little Earth—the fourth book in Argueta’s trilingual Madre Tierra / Mother Earth series—has also been lauded as a Junior Library Guild selection and the recipient of the 2023 Salinas de Alba Award for Latino Children’s Literature and was named to the Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of 2024 in Spanish. Berbér’s story of Pedro Linares won the 2024 Salinas de Alba Award; Casilla’s biography of Mariano Rivera was also named to the Bank Street College of Education’s 2024 list. Camacho-Church’s second ode to grandmothers was named a finalist for the 2024 International Book Awards.
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 from home to school to support family literacy and elementary school 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 Latino literary arts and creativity. For more information, please visit www.artepublicopress.com.
