Houston, TX—Arte Público Press and the Alley Theatre are collaborating to celebrate Latino storytelling in a series of online events during Hispanic Heritage Month. Each week from September 15 to October 15, Alley Theatre staff members will read an Arte Público Press bilingual children’s book for the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans’ (AAMA) Early Childhood Development Center; links to the virtual readings will be available to the larger community via both groups’ social media sites.
To support and enhance the impact of this project, Arte Público Press, the University of Houston-based publisher of Hispanic literature, is offering supporters a special 50% discount off these books for donation to AAMA’s school or the school of their choice. Orders can be placed by phone (800-633-ARTE), email (bkorders@uh.edu) or fax (713-743-2847).
Dates for the live readings and books to be read are:
- September 18 – My Big Sister / Mi hermana mayor: This heartwarming story touches on the reality of hard-working parents and the responsibilities that often fall to older siblings.
- September 25 – The Land of Lost Things / El país de las cosas perdidas: A young boy’s search for his misplaced pencil leads him to wonder where all the lost things go. Children ages 4-8 will delight in one boy’s fanciful journey through a strange and mysterious land.
- October 2 – The Empanadas that Abuela Made / Las empanadas que hacía la abuela: With an easy recipe included in the book, this introduction to a celebrated Latino tradition will be a literary delicacy for the whole family.
- October 6 – We Are Cousins / Somos primos: Written in simple language for children ages 3-5, the brief English and Spanish text will become a valuable tool to encourage children to think and talk about their own families and the joy of this special bond.
- October 9 – The Place Where You Live / El lugar donde vives: This heart-warming ode to the joys of family and community will inspire young people to talk—and even write—about their own families, neighborhoods and homes.
- October 14 – Sip, Slurp, Soup, Soup / Caldo, caldo, caldo: a warm-hearted family ritual shared by many cultures comes to life in this story that transforms a common everyday meal into a captivating family celebration. It also includes an easy caldo recipe to try at home.
Enjoy the reading by visiting the Alley Theatre’s page.
THE ALLEY THEATRE, one of America’s leading nonprofit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company that produces up to 16 plays and nearly 500 performances each season. Home to a full-time resident company of actors, the Alley engages theatre artists of every discipline—actors, directors, designers, composers, playwrights—who work on individual productions throughout each season as visiting artists. Its audience enrichment programs include pre-show and post-performance talks, events, and workshops for audience members of all ages.
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. 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.