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“A little girl is traveling to visit her father’s homeland for the first time, and she is a little nervous. Will she be able to communicate with her family without knowing a lot of Spanish? …When they all come together to celebrate, the small girl finds that they understand each other more than she thought they would, and that communicating with her loved ones comes easily and naturally…A beautiful picture book about the love that connects families, even across distance and language barriers, this would be an excellent addition to children’s picture book collections.”

School Library Journal, Starred Review

A young girl connects with her family on a trip to Honduras with her father despite language barriers. Equipped with a simple “Hi, how are you?” in Spanish, the child prepares to meet her tíos and tías, primos and primas…Through all the banter and stories shared between family, the girl comprehends only a few words, and her attempts to speak Spanish falter when her primos don’t understand her. Papa and the child drive up a mountain until they arrive at a little house where Abuela lives. There, the girl discovers new ways to bond with the familia she initially didn’t know. In her debut as author/illustrator, Alcántara deftly explores the unintended but oh-so-relatable awkwardness that sometimes crops up among families due to language barriers.”

Kirkus Reviews

Tíos y Primos (Tíos and Primos)

Written by Jacqueline Alcántara and Yanitzia Canetti (Translator)
Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Una niña conoce a más parientes de los que puede contar, pero ¿cómo se comunicará con ellos si no puede hablar español con la misma fluidez?

Es el primer viaje de una niña al país natal de su papá, y ella está impresionada con los paisajes maravillos, los sonidos sorprendentes ¡y especialmente con el tamaño de su enorme familia! Pero sabe solo un poco de español y le resulta difícil compartir chistes y anécdotas con fluidez.

Por suerte, sus parientes la ayudan a ver que hay otras maneras de relacionarse. Pronto la niña siente que está justo donde pertenece: en el corazón de una familia amorosa, aprendiendo mientras crece.

Look for the English version, Tíos and Primos.

Primary ISBN: 9780593859421
Publication Date: February 2025
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

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

Setting: Honduras (Tegucigalpa)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

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

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