In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we highlight APA children’s books featuring Latinx families.
Each of these books celebrates family and highlights the richness of culture and the strength of community and love. Explore them with your child.
Something Happened to My Dad: A Story About Immigration and Family Separation by Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP, and Vivianne Aponte Rivera, MD
Algo Le Pasó a Mi Papá: Una Historia Sobre Inmigración y la Separación Familiar by Vivianne Aponte Rivera, MD and Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP
“A well-researched, deeply affecting picture book examines deportation and its effects on communities and immigrant families. …An important, empathetic, and well-told immigration story that strikes a hopeful note of resilience. (glossary of immigration terms, illustrator’s note, further reading, Spanish edition).” –Kirkus
Carmen loves doing magic with her Papi. She is sad and scared when she learns he has been detained because he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Carmen learns she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with Papi, no matter what happens.
Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music by Michael Genhart, PhD
“This is a reassuring story, emphasizing that though we may be different we can find common ground, an especially important message for multiracial/multiethnic children who can often feel pulled between competing identities… “—Kirkus Reviews
Abuelo speaks Spanish. Opa speaks German. Both play the accordion. The little boy in Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music, shows great creativity and wisdom as he finds a way to help his grandfathers connect through music.
Marvelous Maravilloso: Me and My Beautiful Family by Carrie Lara, PsyD
“A wonderfully presented picture book story from the point of view of a young interracial child about what color means within the dynamics of race, ethnicity, and culture.” —Midwest Book Review
Our colors make us beautiful and unique. Explore the colors of the world, including the peoples’ beautiful and unique colors, with a little girl and her family.
The Heart of Mi Familia by Carrie Lara, PsyD
“A child explores what being bicultural means to them in ways that feel familiar to young readers… Bicultural kids will feel seen in this sweet family story. ” —Kirkus Review
Follow a young girl as she works with her abuela and her grandma to create a wonderful birthday present for her brother. She creates a gift that celebrates her multicultural family and honors both sides and generations of her family. This follow up to the award-winning Marvelous Maravilliso: Me and My Beautiful Family is a must-read for all families.
My Singing Nana by Pat Mora
“A winning story that also serves as a useful family resource.” —Publishers Weekly
Billy and his Nana are very close. They love to sing together. When Billy notices that his Nana is forgetting things, his mom explains that she sometimes needs help. When Nana is having a hard day, Billy draws on his special connection with her to include her in family events.
Related Books from Magination Press
-
Something Happened to My Dad: A Story About Immigration and Family Separation
In this realistic and empowering tale, Carmen learns that through community and love, she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with her Papi, who has been detained because of his immigration status.
Carmen loves doing magic with her Papi. He can make sarapes fly. He can make rabbits vanish! But one day, her Papi vanishes. She is sad and scared when she learns he has been detained because he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. At first, Carmen’s family keeps Papi’s detention a secret, fearing that they might be judged negatively. As Carmen’s community becomes aware of their situation, they rally around her family with love. Carmen learns she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with Papi, no matter what happens.
The Something Happened books present and explain sensitive and important events happening in communities across the United States and around the world. Told in clear, compelling stories, the books come with the authority of psychological expertise from the American Psychological Association. They include Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story of Racial Injustice, which is a New York Times and #1 IndieBound bestseller, and one of ALA’s most banned books; Something Happened in Our Park: Standing Together After Gun Violence, which was nominated for The Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice; and Something Happened to My Dad: A Story About Immigration and Family Separation.
-
Algo Le Pasó a Mi Papá: Una Historia Sobre Inmigración y la Separación Familiar
A Carmen le encanta hacer trucos de magia con su Papi. Él puede hacer volar los sarapes. ¡Él puede hacer desaparecer los conejos! Pero un día, su Papi desaparece. Ella se siente triste y asustada cuando se entera que él ha sido detenido porque es un inmigrante indocumentado de México. Inicialmente, la familia de Carmen mantiene en secreto la detención de Papi, por miedo a ser juzgados negativamente. A medida que los demás se dan cuenta de la situación, la comunidad de Carmen se une en apoyo a su familia. Carmen aprende que, a través de la comunidad y el amor, puede encontrar fuerza dentro de sí misma y mantener su conexión con Papi no importa lo que pase.
-
Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music
When both grandpas, Abuelo and Opa, visit at the same time, they can’t understand each other’s language and there is a lot of silence. The grandson’s clever thinking helps find a way for everyone to share the day together as two cultures become one family.
This unique book includes a bonus fold-out and a note from the author sharing the true story of his own family.
-
Marvelous Maravilloso: Me and My Beautiful Family
The world is full of different colors…hundreds of colors, everywhere. People are different colors too. Our colors make us beautiful and unique. Mommy says it is part of our culture and the big word diversity — diversidad.
Marvelous Maravilloso follows a young girl as she finds joy in the colors of the world all around her, including the colors of her own family.
Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers.
-
The Heart of Mi Familia
Follow a young girl as she works with her abuela and her grandma to create a wonderful birthday present for her brother that celebrates her multicultural family and honors both sides and generations of her family. This follow up to the award winning Marvelous Maravilliso: Me and My Beautiful Family is a must-read for all families.
-
My Singing Nana
“Always amigos!”
My Singing Nana is a compassionate tribute to families dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease.
This story celebrates the ideals of family, heritage, and happy memories, showing kids that no matter how their loved one might change they always have ways to maintain their special connection.
