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“The significance of a Hispanic tradition respecting both sides of a child’s parentage is well explained in this example of cultural difference.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“René, a new student from El Salvador, doesn’t understand why his second last name is missing from his desk’s name label. Adding it results in a name so long that his classmates make fun of it by comparing it to that of a dinosaur…When his teacher assigns the students the project of creating a family tree, René is determined to show his classmates and teacher why he has two last names and the importance of his dos apellidos.”

—School Library Journal

René Has Two Last Names / René Tiene dos Apellidos

Written by René Colato Laínez
Illustrated by Fabiola Graullera Ramirez
Published by Piñata Books

Young René is from El Salvador, and he doesn’t understand why his name has to be different in the United States. When he writes Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, René and Amelia. When he writes Laínez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second last name, René feels incomplete, “like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese or a hot dog without a wiener.”

His new classmates giggle when René tells them his name. “That’s a long dinosaur name,” one says. “Your name is longer than an anaconda,” another laughs. But René doesn’t want to lose the part of him that comes from his mother’s family. So when the students are given a project to create a family tree, René is determined to explain the importance of using both of his last names. On the day of his presentation, René explains that he is as hard-working as Abuelo René, who is a farmer, and as creative as his Abuela Amelia, who is a potter. He can tell stories like his Abuelo Julio and enjoys music like his Abuela Angela.

Primary ISBN: 9781558855304
Publication Date: October 2009
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book , Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Engagement Materials:

Read Together Texas: René Colato Laínez reads René Has Two Last Names (Spanish/En Español)

Source: Texas Book Festival