Celebrating Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month with New Picture Book Releases

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) celebrates the history, cultures, and contributions of immigrants or people with ancestors from Spanish-speaking countries. It also celebrates the independence of several Latin American countries. 

While HHM is a wonderful time to incorporate more learning about Hispanic and Latinx/e communities, we encourage you to diversify your teaching and bookshelves all year long. We know that representation matters and celebrating culture through storytelling is the best way to help our children feel seen and open their hearts and minds to other lived experiences. 

Below are some releases from the past two years that would make incredible additions to classroom and school libraries!

Fix-It Familia

Author: Lucky Diaz | Illustrator: Micah Player | Publisher: HarperCollins

From the creators of Paletero Man and La Guitarrista—Latin Grammy–winning musician Lucky Diaz and celebrated artist Micah Player—comes a rollicking and rhyming story about a boy and his family who have all the right tools to help their community.

No job is too big, no task is too small. We’re the Fix It Familia. We help one, we help all!

Chavo and his family are always there to lend a helping hand. So when the main parade float crashes at a neighborhood fiesta, Chavo has the perfect plan to help his community. With a load of creativity and a truck full of love, nothing can stop Chavo’s ideas from becoming reality! 

This empowering tale of resilience, community, and the power of creativity is perfect for lovers of all things construction tools and trucks. Fans of Saturday by Oge Mora, The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith, and Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, and Rafael López will also love this story.

The book includes Spanish words and phrases throughout and an author’s note from Lucky Diaz about his inspiration behind the story.

Menudo Sunday: A Spanglish Counting Book

Author: Maria Dolores Aguila | Illustrator: Erika Meza | Publisher: Dial Books

Paletero Man meets Besos for Baby in this Spanish-English counting picture book that’s bursting with all the love, laughter, and chaos found at a large family gathering.

Sundays are the best: that’s when a little girl and her mamá, abuelitos, tías and primos all gather together to eat yummy menudo, a traditional Mexican soup. But when playtime with the cousins and family dogs gets out of hand and Abuelito Esteban’s special bowl of menudo breaks, everyone has to pitch in to make a new batch! Through all the menudo mishaps and sneaky snacks for perritos with wagging tails, young readers will giggle as they learn to count from 1-15 in Spanish and English. Bonus materials at the back of the book include a glossary of Spanish words, a note from the author, and tips for hosting your very own Menudo Sunday!

My Abuela is a Bruja

Author: Mayra Cuevas | Illustrator: Lorena Alvarez Gomez | Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

From an award-winning author comes a vibrant and heartwarming story of the bond between grandmother and grandchild, with a touch of Puerto Rican magic!

My abuela is a bruja.

There is magic in everything she does.

There is nothing more magical than a grandmother's love. But one lucky girl suspects her grandmother has actual magic. It's in the tun-tun-tun of the way she dances salsa, in the warmth of her hugs, and the delicious smell of her cooking. The granddaughter wonders: will I have magic of my own one day?

Follow the magic in this heartfelt picture book that features extensive backmatter that includes two special recipes from Mayra Cuevas and uplifiting illustrations from Lorena Alvarez Gómez.

The Plant Rescuer

Author/Illustrator: Matthew Rivera | Publisher: Neal Porter Books

Manny harnesses love, determination, and a visit to the library to care for his first plant and make his gardener father proud.

Manny comes from a long line of gardeners, and to him, the greatest gardener of all is his dad. Dad always knows what plants need. Even with no yard to garden in, he tends their small apartment into a lush jungle.

One day, the time comes for Manny to get his very own first plant! Dad trusts Manny to care for his new amigo, and Manny is determined to rise to the challenge. But watching Dad’s masterful work isn’t the same as knowing everything he knows, and Manny’s amigo keeps wilting, no matter what he tries! Dad would know what to do, but this is Manny’s plant, and he wants to be the one to save it.

Luckily, before his new amigo, Manny had another friend: the library! A day of research and a stack of books gets him back on track in no time. Manny’s plant grows bigger and bigger, until his room overflows with beautiful, healthy leaves, plentiful enough for Dad to share cuttings with the whole neighborhood. Now Manny can proudly say that he is the youngest in a long line of gardeners.

Longtime illustrator Matthew Rivera makes his authorial debut with a story that will warm every green-thumbed heart. Any child with an older role model whose shoes they dream of growing into will delight in Manny’s success and his zest for independent trial-and-error.

Sundust

Author/Illustrator: Zeke Pena| Publisher: Kokila

In his striking author-illustrator debut, the award-winning illustrator of My Papi Has a Motorcycle offers an immersive and fantastical desert adventure, where the sun reigns over the vast landscape and shapes all that it touches.

Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around the Sun, brother and sister explore, imagine, and wonder, What if Sun’s power was inside me? until their mom’s whistle calls them back home again.

With spare, lyrical text, Pura Belpré Honor and Ezra Jack Keats Honor recipient Zeke Peña has created a fantastical tale that suspends moments in time with his radiant art and celebrates the bonds between the sun, the desert, and its people.

Welcome Home, Esmerelda

Author: Daniela Ramirez | Illustrator: Maribel Lechuga | Publisher: Charlesbridge

From a military family, Esmerelda discovers that home is where she's always welcomed—thanks to music, dance, and the big, unconditional love from her extended family.

An ideal picture book for kindergarteners and 1st graders who are moving, need reassurances during a transition, and could use the reminder that home is family.

Papa's job in the military has taken Esmerelda and her family all over the world—and yet she's never lived in the United States. Now she and her family are moving to San Antonio, Texas.

Although many of her extended family members live there, Esmerelda is unsure it'll feel like home. Even more, she's unsure she will fit in. Gradually, music and her sweet abuela spark bravery and the realization that home is not always a place—it's familia.

Heartwarming and hopeful, Welcome Home, Esmerelda will provide reassurance to any kid that while moving and change are difficult, you have the support of loved ones to help you through it.

Tios and Primos

Author/Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcantara | Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

A little girl meets more relatives than she can count—but how will she communicate with them if she can’t speak their language?

It’s a little girl’s first trip to her papa’s homeland, and she’s wowed by all the amazing sights and sounds—and especially by the size of her enormous family! But she only knows a little Spanish, and it’s hard not to be able to share jokes and stories. Fortunately, her relatives help her see that there are other ways they can connect, and soon she feels like she’s right where she belongs: in the heart of a loving family, learning as she goes along.

Mama's Magnificent Dancing Plantitas

Author: Jesus Trejo | Illustrator: Eliza Kinkz | Publisher: Minerva

In this highly anticipated companion to Pura Belpre Honor winner Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock, little Jesús gets a new and very important job: caring for Mamá’s beloved houseplants. From sharing his best jokes with the grumpy Cactus to dancing with the beautiful Peace Lily, it's going great—until the Golden Pothos, Mamá's favorite, crashes to the floor! How will Jesús get out of this one?

When Jesús gets home after school, he has to fill the time until Mamá can take him outside to play. It's tough, until Mamá appoints him Chief Plant Officer—he'll be like a big brother to her precious houseplants! Jesús does an excellent job keeping them watered, entertained, and happy—until an unfortunate accident during a dance party throws Jesús’s entire job into crisis mode! Join Jesús and a hilarious cast of houseplants as they navigate the biggest challenge of all.

The high-spirited hero of Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock is back with another irresistible family misadventure that will warm your heart and make you laugh.

Mistaco: A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas

Author/Illustrator: Eliza Kinkz | Publisher: Kokila

A chaotically funny debut picture book about a girl who's had a terrible day full of mistakes and finds that making mistacos could be a delicious solution.

After an awful day at school (including a tragic but plausibly deniable mishap with a pudding cup), Izzy wants to be left alone. But it's Friday, and that means making tortillas with Lito.

As the mistakes pile up, they come tumbling out of Izzy—and Lito surprises her by saying everyone makes mistakes, and if she makes a tortilla out of her mistakes, he will EAT it.

Fridays are for Churros

Author/Illustrator: Jenny Alvarado | Publisher: Holiday House

A girl and her dad move to a new town. And she’s determined to keep their traditions, no matter how busy Daddy is! A fun story about family, food, and good neighbors!

Every Friday, Emi and her Papi made churros for the entire familia. Now in their new apartment in the big city, Papi is always working, and there are no churros, and no familia, on Fridays. Until, Emi smells something sweet and delicious coming from her neighbor Señora Luisa’s apartment.

Emi has an idea! Maybe she can make churros after all, with a little help. From Señora Luisa, she can borrow flour. Tomas in 312 has sugar. Marisol in 512 has a piping tip. Soon Emi’s apartment is filled with the scent of fresh churros, new foods, and new friends!

A story of food and community, Fridays Are for Churros celebrates old traditions becoming new, and strangers becoming friends.

No More Senora Mimi

Author: Meg Medina | Illustrator: Brittany Cicchese | Publisher: Candlewick

Ana cannot contain her excitement—her abuela is coming to stay with her and Mami for always! Abuela is sure to let Ana play whenever she wants instead of rushing her off to school, like her neighbor and babysitter, señora Mimí, sometimes does. In fact, as Ana’s classmate points out, she won’t need señora Mimí to babysit at all anymore! But señora Mimí is a good listener, and they have a lot of fun together feeding the squirrels and eating snacks. Maybe Ana isn’t ready to say goodbye to señora Mimí just yet? Masterful storyteller Meg Medina shares a reassuring tale that celebrates caregivers and community and their special role in children's lives, paired with warm, expressive illustrations by Brittany Cicchese.

Abuela's Library

Author: Lissette Norman | Illustrator: Jayri Gomez | Publisher: HarperCollins

Alfonso and Abuela love to spend Saturday afternoons finding books at the library and reading them together beneath their favorite oak tree. But when their beloved tree is cut down, can Alfonso transform the stump into something magical for their whole community—their very own neighborhood library?

This uplifting story from award-winning poet Lissette Norman and illustrator Jayri Gómez shows us how to turn an unexpected setback into a happy ending: one with a beautiful sky-blue door and shelves filled with books for everyone to enjoy.

Queer Latine Heroes: 25 Changemaers from Latin America and the U.S. from History and Today

Author: Sofia Aguilar | Illustrator: Valentine De Luna Cortes | Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

From the heroes of the Mexican Revolution, muxe living outside of gender norms, stars of the Ballroom scene, and era defining artists, singers and performers - the creativity and activism of queer Latine heroes has changed the world.

This beautifully illustrated book will help children ages 5+ discover the beauty and richness of Latine history - and inspire them to live and love as they choose!

With biographies, fun facts and a glossary of key terms - this groundbreaking book brings history to the fingertips of children and educators alike.

Bold, Brilliant and Latine: Meet 52 Latine and Hispanic Heroes from Past and Present

Author: Alyssa Reynosa-Morris | Illustrator: Sol Cotti | Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions

Bold, Brilliant, and Latine is the next book in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series See Yourself in Their Stories, which has sold more than 185,000 copies worldwide! Young Latine and Hispanic children can see themselves reflected in 52 amazing heroes from the past and present, whom everyone can look up to. Featuring incredible icons like:

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – Politician, the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress

• Lionel Messi – Superstar soccer player

• Sonia Sotomayor – US Supreme Court Justice

• Frida Kahlo – Iconic artist

• Cesar Chavez – Activist and labor leader

• Ellen Ochoa – First Latina astronaut in space

• Lin-Manuel Miranda – Actor, composer, creator of Broadway musicals

Kids will be inspired by these stories and others, from sporting legends to fashion icons, political leaders to fearless changemakers, as well as renowned writers, musicians, artists, scientists, and more. These heroes’ lives are vividly recounted by queer award-winning Dominican and Puerto Rican storyteller Alyssa Reynoso-Morris and brought to life by Argentinian illustrator Sol Cotti.

A heartwarming and empowering book for Latine and Hispanic children and families, this anthology is also ideal for homeschoolers and educators looking to diversify their perspectives through Latine and Hispanic history and achievements, with one new figure to explore each week of the year.

Proud, talented, and boundless, these extraordinary men and women will inspire readers of all backgrounds to chase their dreams…whatever they may be.