Abuela
Written by: Arthur Dorros
Illustrated by: Elisa Kleven
Genre: Fantasy / multicultural
Publisher: 1991 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers
United States of America
ISBN# 0-525-44750-4
GL: 3+
This is a story about a little girl, Rosabla, who goes on a fantastic adventure with her grandmother, Abuela. While feeding the birds at the park one day, Rosabla imagines they lift her and her abuela off the ground. Soon the two are flying above busy New York City. The book is written in English but introduces Spanish vocabulary; the terms are defined in the glossary.
Activities:
1. Students could draw a picture or write their own flying story about what they would see and experience flying around their town. Have a discussion to compare and contrast the student’s stories to the book. Talk about the differences between your town and New York City. This is a great opportunity to discuss diversity.
2. Have students look through the book and draw and list the activities they see people doing, i.e., skating, jumping rope, feeding the birds, etc. Have a discussion about what activities the students enjoy doing most. Ask students to write a sentence that describes an activity they would like to do at the park.
3. First, look at the Spanish speaking countries where mangos, bananas and papayas come from and map the route the ships may have taken to arrive in NYC.
Illustrated by: Elisa Kleven
Genre: Fantasy / multicultural
Publisher: 1991 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers
United States of America
ISBN# 0-525-44750-4
GL: 3+
This is a story about a little girl, Rosabla, who goes on a fantastic adventure with her grandmother, Abuela. While feeding the birds at the park one day, Rosabla imagines they lift her and her abuela off the ground. Soon the two are flying above busy New York City. The book is written in English but introduces Spanish vocabulary; the terms are defined in the glossary.
Activities:
1. Students could draw a picture or write their own flying story about what they would see and experience flying around their town. Have a discussion to compare and contrast the student’s stories to the book. Talk about the differences between your town and New York City. This is a great opportunity to discuss diversity.
2. Have students look through the book and draw and list the activities they see people doing, i.e., skating, jumping rope, feeding the birds, etc. Have a discussion about what activities the students enjoy doing most. Ask students to write a sentence that describes an activity they would like to do at the park.
3. First, look at the Spanish speaking countries where mangos, bananas and papayas come from and map the route the ships may have taken to arrive in NYC.
Juan Bobo: Four Folktales from Puerto Rico (An I Can Read Book, Level 3)
Written by: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Illustrated by: Ernesto Ramos Nieves
Genre: Multicultural folktale
Publisher: September 30th 1995 by HarperTrophy
ISBN# 0064441857
GL: 2-4
Juan Bobo is a collection of four folktales about a boy that always likes to have a good time. His Mama always wants to put him to work and Juan Bobo always finds a way to make the work fun. Juan Bobo tries to use baskets to carry water instead of buckets or dressing a pig up to go to church, or learning how to use his manners at someone’s house for dinner. Juan Bobo is a young boy just trying to have fun in all things that he does, no matter how silly things might get. The book also has all of the folktales written in Spanish in the back on the book. It is a great book for ELL students to see different adventures that one can take.
Activities:
1. Draw a pig. Where would you take your pig? Use your imagination. The pig can go to school, to soccer practice, to a ballet recital. What kind of clothes would your pig wear? Measure your pig and choose fabric and make clothes appropriate for where the pig is going. Glue the clothes to the pig. After the pig is dry, display it on a bulletin board.
2. Write a Juan Bobo play. Add characters such as Juan Bobo’s father, brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends. Act the play out with your classmates. Have an audience!
3. Students will research other multicultural folktales and will pick one that they will compare and then contrast the two together. They will then be able to see the differences and similarities within different cultures.
Illustrated by: Ernesto Ramos Nieves
Genre: Multicultural folktale
Publisher: September 30th 1995 by HarperTrophy
ISBN# 0064441857
GL: 2-4
Juan Bobo is a collection of four folktales about a boy that always likes to have a good time. His Mama always wants to put him to work and Juan Bobo always finds a way to make the work fun. Juan Bobo tries to use baskets to carry water instead of buckets or dressing a pig up to go to church, or learning how to use his manners at someone’s house for dinner. Juan Bobo is a young boy just trying to have fun in all things that he does, no matter how silly things might get. The book also has all of the folktales written in Spanish in the back on the book. It is a great book for ELL students to see different adventures that one can take.
Activities:
1. Draw a pig. Where would you take your pig? Use your imagination. The pig can go to school, to soccer practice, to a ballet recital. What kind of clothes would your pig wear? Measure your pig and choose fabric and make clothes appropriate for where the pig is going. Glue the clothes to the pig. After the pig is dry, display it on a bulletin board.
2. Write a Juan Bobo play. Add characters such as Juan Bobo’s father, brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends. Act the play out with your classmates. Have an audience!
3. Students will research other multicultural folktales and will pick one that they will compare and then contrast the two together. They will then be able to see the differences and similarities within different cultures.
Prietita and the Ghost Woman
Written By: Gloria Analdúa
Illustrated by: Maya Christina Gonzalez
Genre: Legendary Mexican Folk Lore
Publisher: 1995 by Children's Book Press - United States
ISBN# 0-89239-136-7
GL: 2-4
This book is written in English with a Spanish translation. It is a story about Prietita, a girl who sets off in search of a medicine plant to cure her mother’s illness. Her search leads her to a dangerous ranch thought to be haunted by the ghost of la Llorona. Prietita ventures deep into the woods and becomes lost as night falls. She bravely follows the sound of a weeping woman, it leads her to Llorona. The ghost woman shows Prietita the plant she needs and guides her safely out of the woods.
Activities:
1. Have students think and share their thoughts about something or someone that once seemed scary to them. How did they overcome their fear? Students could draw a picture and/or write a story that explains how they overcame a fear.
2. Have students research the Rue Plant and Mexican curanderas. Have a discussion and list plants in the local area and what they are used for i.e., food, ornaments, medicine.
Illustrated by: Maya Christina Gonzalez
Genre: Legendary Mexican Folk Lore
Publisher: 1995 by Children's Book Press - United States
ISBN# 0-89239-136-7
GL: 2-4
This book is written in English with a Spanish translation. It is a story about Prietita, a girl who sets off in search of a medicine plant to cure her mother’s illness. Her search leads her to a dangerous ranch thought to be haunted by the ghost of la Llorona. Prietita ventures deep into the woods and becomes lost as night falls. She bravely follows the sound of a weeping woman, it leads her to Llorona. The ghost woman shows Prietita the plant she needs and guides her safely out of the woods.
Activities:
1. Have students think and share their thoughts about something or someone that once seemed scary to them. How did they overcome their fear? Students could draw a picture and/or write a story that explains how they overcame a fear.
2. Have students research the Rue Plant and Mexican curanderas. Have a discussion and list plants in the local area and what they are used for i.e., food, ornaments, medicine.
Speak English for Us, Marisol!
Written by: Karen English
Illustrated by: Enrique O. Sánchez
Genre: Hispanic American fiction
Publisher: 2000 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN# 0-8075-7554-2
GL: 2-3
Marisol, a bilingual student, is running home from school, excited at the prospect of her cat, Luisa, having kittens. Marisol is in a big hurry but her neighbors and family need her help. Since Marisol can speak both English and Spanish, they often ask her to translate for them. Although this is often overwhelming for Marisol, she is willing to help any way she can.
Activities:
1. Ask students to think about something that they do to help their friends or family members. Ask students to write two or three sentences describing what they do and draw a picture showing the activity.
2. The class could fill out a K-W-L chart prior to reading the book. They may discuss what they know about the Mexican culture, and what they would like to know more about. ELL students may help to answer some of these questions. After reading the book, students will write what they have learned. If some of their questions have not been answered, the teacher can help students research the questions on the Internet as a class.
3. The teacher will lead students through a "text walk" through the book. The students will look at the title of the book and the teacher will ask what they believe the story is about. The class will look at the pictures in the story. The teacher will ask students where they think the story takes place. The students will be asked to make two predictions about the story. After reading, the students will work with their shoulder partners and discuss how their predictions were either right or wrong.
Illustrated by: Enrique O. Sánchez
Genre: Hispanic American fiction
Publisher: 2000 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN# 0-8075-7554-2
GL: 2-3
Marisol, a bilingual student, is running home from school, excited at the prospect of her cat, Luisa, having kittens. Marisol is in a big hurry but her neighbors and family need her help. Since Marisol can speak both English and Spanish, they often ask her to translate for them. Although this is often overwhelming for Marisol, she is willing to help any way she can.
Activities:
1. Ask students to think about something that they do to help their friends or family members. Ask students to write two or three sentences describing what they do and draw a picture showing the activity.
2. The class could fill out a K-W-L chart prior to reading the book. They may discuss what they know about the Mexican culture, and what they would like to know more about. ELL students may help to answer some of these questions. After reading the book, students will write what they have learned. If some of their questions have not been answered, the teacher can help students research the questions on the Internet as a class.
3. The teacher will lead students through a "text walk" through the book. The students will look at the title of the book and the teacher will ask what they believe the story is about. The class will look at the pictures in the story. The teacher will ask students where they think the story takes place. The students will be asked to make two predictions about the story. After reading, the students will work with their shoulder partners and discuss how their predictions were either right or wrong.
The Christmas Gift El regalo de Navidad
Written by: Francisco Jiménez
Illustrated by: Claire B. Cotts
Genre: Multicultural non-fiction
Publisher: 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN# 0-395-92869-9
GL: 4-5
A few days before Christmas, Panchito’s family decided to move again. There had been little farm work available and the family did not have much money. Panchito worried that he would not get the present that he wanted, one red ball. On Christmas night, Panchito watched his mother wrap one gift for each member of the family. He wondered why she was crying. Although Panchito did not get the gift he wished for, he learned about love, family, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Activities:
1. Students will be asked to discuss what the word disappointment means with their shoulder partners. The teacher will discuss what the word means with students. They will be asked if they have ever been disappointed at someone or something. The teacher will ask students to express this disappointment. This may be done by writing a story or poem, creating a song or rap, drawing or painting a picture, or even making a collage. Students will then share their creations with the class.
2. The teacher will read the book, The Christmas Gift El regalo de Navidad, to the class. The teacher will discuss Panchito's family who were migrant farm workers in California. What Christmas traditions did Panchito's family have? Students will be given a partner and asked to research Christmas traditions of other cultures (they may pick the culture). Students will use library resources as well as the Internet. Groups will then create a poster (written and visual) highlighting the information that they found.
3. Students will be separated into groups. Each group will pick a scene from the book that they would like to perform during a Reader's Theatre presentation. Students will get the opportunity to rehearse and make their own costumes.
Illustrated by: Claire B. Cotts
Genre: Multicultural non-fiction
Publisher: 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN# 0-395-92869-9
GL: 4-5
A few days before Christmas, Panchito’s family decided to move again. There had been little farm work available and the family did not have much money. Panchito worried that he would not get the present that he wanted, one red ball. On Christmas night, Panchito watched his mother wrap one gift for each member of the family. He wondered why she was crying. Although Panchito did not get the gift he wished for, he learned about love, family, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Activities:
1. Students will be asked to discuss what the word disappointment means with their shoulder partners. The teacher will discuss what the word means with students. They will be asked if they have ever been disappointed at someone or something. The teacher will ask students to express this disappointment. This may be done by writing a story or poem, creating a song or rap, drawing or painting a picture, or even making a collage. Students will then share their creations with the class.
2. The teacher will read the book, The Christmas Gift El regalo de Navidad, to the class. The teacher will discuss Panchito's family who were migrant farm workers in California. What Christmas traditions did Panchito's family have? Students will be given a partner and asked to research Christmas traditions of other cultures (they may pick the culture). Students will use library resources as well as the Internet. Groups will then create a poster (written and visual) highlighting the information that they found.
3. Students will be separated into groups. Each group will pick a scene from the book that they would like to perform during a Reader's Theatre presentation. Students will get the opportunity to rehearse and make their own costumes.