Martina Has Too Many Tías- Martina tiene muchas tías

Written by Emma Otheguy

Illustrated by Sara Palacios

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Print length: 40 pages

ISBN-10: 1534445366

ISBN-13: 978-1534445369

Reading age: 4 - 8 years

Grade level: Preschool - 3

A quiet girl overwhelmed by her rambunctious family finds a magical land of solitude only to discover what truly makes a home a home in this lively and magical bilingual picture book that reimagines the beloved Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina.”

Martina does not like parties. Parties are full of tías with their flashy fashions and boom-and-bellow laughter that’s too much for quiet Martina. At least with all that noise, no one notices when she slips away. She finds herself in a magical place: a warm, familiar island where she can finally play in peace and quiet. Martina is home at last—or is she?

Martina tiene muchas tías 

Una niña callada que se abruma fácilmente por su escandalosa familia encuentra una tierra mágica y silenciosa en la que descubre lo que hace que un hogar sea un hogar en esta nueva versión del muy querido, alegre y mágico cuento folclórico caribeño “La cucarachita Martina.”

Las fiestas están llenas de tías con sus ropas coloridas y sus risas escandalosas. ¡Eso es demasiado para Martina! Por suerte, con tanto ruido, nadie nota cuando se da una escapada.

Martina se traslada a un lugar mágico —una isla cálida que le resulta familiar— en donde puede jugar en paz y tranquilidad. Martina está, por fin, en casa —pero ¿es realmente su hogar?

Review

"In this sweet homage to the Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina,” a young girl comes to cherish familial love. Colorful, digitally rendered illustrations have a three-dimensional, collage feel, exuding warmth and light and capturing a child’s world of imagination. . . An affirming story that feels like a warm hug from a beloved relative." -- Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

"A seemingly simple story that speaks to the importance of water conservation. . . [Engle] works in the delight this neighborhood experiences with an understated but resonant message that is never preachy or pitying. Sua’s illustrations made on painted paper depict the liveliness with brilliant greens and majestic blues. . . Sprinkles of Spanish add to the sense of place. . . Engle packs so much into just a few powerful sentences. An excellent choice." -- School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"Otheguy riffs on the Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina” in this emotionally aware story about family and self. . . . Circular forms suffuse Palacios’s festive digital renderings of Martina’s magical journey toward family connection." -- Publishers Weekly

Emma Otheguy is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture books A Sled for Gabo and Martina Has Too Many Tías, the bilingual picture book Martí’s Song for Freedom, and the middle grade novels Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, Cousins in the Time of Magic, Silver Meadows Summer, and, with Adam Gidwitz, The Madre de Aguas of Cuba, part of the Unicorn Rescue Society series. Visit her at EmmaOtheguy.com.

Sara Palacios is the recipient of a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor for Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match and the illustrator of several other picture books, including A Song of Frutas, The Flying Girl,and Martina Has Too Many Tías. Sara graduated with a degree in graphic design and went on to earn BFA and MFA degrees in illustration from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. A native of Mexico, Sara now lives in San Francisco. Visit her at SaraPalaciosIllustrations.com.

A Voice Unsilenced: Parable For Resistance

Review: Carmen Tafolla. Thelma Ortiz Muraida. The Donkey Lady. A Graphic Parable. San Antonio: Aztlán Libre Press, 2026.isbn ISBN: 978-0-9905779-7-3 

Michael Sedano

My granddaughter read Maus in high school. A graphic novel in a high-level English class perplexed me. Back in my youth, Classics Illustrated was the epitome of "funny books." Comic books featured heroes, cute characters, animated icons. Classics Illustrated broke down the essence of a work like Romeo and Juliet and turned it into a comic book whose twenty-five cent price put them out of reach.

Graphic novels are a different experience.

I've now read my first graphic novel. Poet Carmen Tafolla, working with illustrator Thelma Ortiz Muraida, adapted a San Antonio legend and packaged it for older children, the story of a woman burned to death by covetous men.

Donkey Lady has a rough edge to it. That's the name given to a quiet woman's spirit. In life her neighbors called La Callada after her characteristic silence. She grows the best produce around and when the grocer displays La Callada's tomatoes and vegetables, customers snap them up.

La Callada's horticultural technique is not just owning good tierra but having good relations with the garden. The woman lives close to nature and such harmony yields outstanding produce and jealousy. Jealous men want the woman's land and take lethal action to drive La Callada off her land.

She is a woman of her land, and defies the nighttime raiders with a refrain, "no sir! this is mine and here I'll stay where the trees and the birds and the wind know my name." She remains and the marauders burn her home with La Callada inside.

This is seriously violent stuff. With illustrations. And it's a true story, 100 years old. Kids deserve to learn this history and its lessons.

The authors, recognizing a possible confusion between an illustrated children's picture book and this tale, open the book with a page of warning. "This is a graphic novel for adults and children over nine." Warning notwithstanding, there's a page of discussion questions on the last page. 

Kids in classrooms and book groups will enjoy delving into the deeply serious issues Tafolla raises. Gente familiar with this SanAnto story will note Tafolla's fleshed out the attackers, adding a decent woman--the wife of the main attacker--and brings that man to a just fate.

Donkey Lady, as a parable, offers a host of discussion points that could be lessons about resistance, racists, ignorance, being different/individualistic, and most of all, the spirit world.

The Donkey Lady's provenance as cultural knowledge particular to San Antonio has a fit emergence into the outside world through one of the United States' best small presses, Aztlán Libre Press (link). La Bloga welcomes work from this publisher, such as J Lo's Nalgas (link), and a granddaughter's poetry tribute to her abuelo (link). its Aztec calendar coloring book, Alurista's Tuna Luna. Readers can order The Donkey Lady from the publisher. Reliable indie booksellers like Libromobile can order your copies.

“En las yemas de los dedos / On the Tips of My Fingers” by Xánath Caraza

“En las yemas de los dedos / On the Tips of My Fingers” by Xánath Caraza

 

Xanath Caraza

Xanath Caraza

Xanath Caraza

En las yemas de los dedos

 

Xanath Caraza

Traigo a los ancestros tatuados

en las yemas de los dedos.

 

Huellas dactilares,

única identificación.

 

Su sangre se revuelve

en las manos.

 

Los salvajes movimientos

reviven la historia.

 

Un trazo en la página,

una sílaba renace.

 

Los humeantes espíritus

se levantan del papel.

 

Siento a los ancestros en la sangre.

 

Los transpiro cada día,

circulan en rojo.

 

Brotan los tatuajes

en mi rostro.

 

Movimiento y poesía

giran en la piel.

 

Emanan los ancestros de mis dedos.

Se concentran como

hilo de oro en las puntas.

 

Cubren mis uñas

con sus cantos.

 

Se alargan hasta tocar

el corazón de jade.

 

¡Palpita, huehuetl prohibido!

¡Resuena, teponastle prohibido!

 

Salgan de la página a llenar

el mundo con sus ritmos.

 

Xanath Caraza

 

Xanath Caraza

Xanath Caraza

Xanath Caraza

On the Tips of My Fingers

 

I carry the ancestors tattooed

on the tips of my fingers.

 

Fingerprints,

unique identification.

 

Blood stirs

in my hands.

 

Fierce movements

revive history.

 

A stroke of the pen on the page,

a syllable reborn.

 

Smoky specters

arise from the paper.

 

I sense the ancestors in my blood.

 

I perspire them every day,

they move about in red.

 

Tattoos emerge

on my face.

 

Movement and poetry

spiral on my skin.

 

The ancestors radiate from my fingers.

They concentrate like

golden thread on the tips.

 

They cover my nails

with their songs.

 

Stretching out until they touch

the heart of jade.

 

Beat, forbidden huehuetl!

Ring out, forbidden teponaztli!

 

Escape the page to fill

the world with your rhythms.

 

Xanath Caraza

 

Xanath Caraza

Xanath Caraza

Imágenes por Stephen Holland-Wempe y Xánath Caraza en Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.

Xanath Caraza

“En las yemas de los dedos / On the Tips of My Fingers” están incluidos en el poemario Balamkú (2019). Traducido al inglés por Sandra Kingery.

 

Xanath Caraza

In 2020 Balamkú received second place for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Book of Poetry Award by the International Latino Book Awards.

 

Xanath Caraza

Balamkú (Es una zona maya del estado de Campeche en México) significa: el templo del jaguar

  

Xanath Caraza

Poetry Connection: Connecting with SBWC Attendees and Open Mic Poets

  Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 2023-2025

The Santa Barbara Writers Conference returned after a one year hiatus. Last year, there was a mini-conference that was valiantly upheld by SBWC director Grace Rachow and a handful of workshop leaders who opened their homes to attendees. Many who attended were grateful for the impromptu camaraderie, but also expressed how much they enjoyed the cohesiveness of the conference being in one location. Grace has done an incredible job at keeping the fifty-two year old institution going. The Mar Monte Hotel has become the ideal venue with its larger rooms for panels and speakers and the final banquet, smaller hotel rooms for crafting workshops, and a pool for the cocktail party. This year there were so many smiling faces you would think every hopeful author had received a six-figure book deal. In my twenty-plus years attending the conference, I’ve seen many a drama at the conference for writers. Founder Barnaby Conrad used to tell the story about the an attendee who had packed her bags after only one day at the conference and was terribly upset because she hadn’t found an agent to publish her book. Last week, one of the poets accompanied an attendee who ended up in the Emergency Room with a head wound due to a fall; see her poem splat.

I had a very busy week beginning with Sunday’s registration, where I helped check people in to the conference. As noon approached, I changed into my flamenco costume as the festivities for solstice were not over. Saturday, was the city’s big solstice parade and I marched with the Blue Wave, the city officials, along side councilwoman Kristen Sneddon. Sunday, my solstice fun continued with a flamenco dance performance at Alameda park with Rosal Ortega Flamenco. After the performance, there was no time to linger and thank friends who showed up to see me dance. I had to rush back to the conference in order to be on the Poets Laureate panel, the first panel of the conference. It was nice to see the same friends who were at the park show up to the writers conference panel. Another change this year is that all the panels were free to the public.

Monday, I co-taught my publicity seminar with author Lida Sideris. Tuesday was agents day, where writers signed up to pitch their books to an agent. I spent the entire morning and afternoon helping with agent appointments. In the evening, I read poetry with Paul Willis. I was a little nervous because TC Boyle was in the audience, waiting to hear the evening keynote, Jess Walter. Wednesday and Thursday I facilitated the poetry open mic. The two days of hearing from poets was fun. Poet Laureate Emerita Perie Longo says the open mic is her favorite part of the conference and she did not disappoint. She also had several teaching and judging duties as the conference is made possible by its many volunteers and faculty. I’ve included two diverse voices from last week’s poetry open mic. Friday was the last day of the conference. I was a guest in Perie Longo’s poetry workshop and my last panel was the 4pm Author Platform panel with Lisa Angle, Rachel Sarah Thurston, Stephanie Barbé Hammer, Rick Shaw and moderator Nancy Klann-Moren. I wish everyone who attended the conference or thought about attending, a happy and productive writing season, until next year writers conference friends.

This week’s poetry connection poems come from two poets who live in Santa Barbara and attended the SBWC open mic longtime attendee Toni Bixby and newcomer, Uche Iheanacho.

Let me Count the Ways

For Ned

by Toni Bixby

The first time you came to my house,

you alphabetized the spices,

the next time you rearranged the silverware,

the third time, the rest of the cupboards.

Then the dog beds started disappearing.

So far, the dogs are still here.

I love you more than

fried cheese curds

at the Minnesota State Fair,

crunchy, crispy bites of hot fried Cheddar.

I would rescue you

if Santa Barbara had a 7.0 earthquake,

our house exploded,

an oak tree fell on you,

I had to dig you out.

We are best friends and lovers.

My friends adore you.

If we broke-up, my family would keep you.

Until death do us part, and

our ashes become one with the sea—

or we’re buried in the back yard,

and the dogs dig us up.

Toni Bixby is a Santa Barbara writer, poet and retired lawyer.  She has been published in The Santa Barbara Independent, Community of Voices Anthologies, Sage Trail Poetry Magazine, Luna Review and Writing Through The Apocalypse.  Her poetry often reflects her current circumstances and her work as an attorney for Child Welfare Services.

splat 

Uchechi Iheanacho 

Hot, syrupy blood melted down the old woman’s face seeping under her fingernails and 

coating sugar spun hair 

Her vanilla skin turned strawberry pink 

In her haste she’d tripped on rocky road and like a three-tall scoop on a 

sweltering summer’s day 

went splat 

Her cone cracked with a dull thunk 

milky fat flesh spilling across sun-baked pavement It took five stitches to piece her back together. If only I didn’t ask her to get ice cream.

Ogbanje

Uchechi Iheanacho

Situated between rhyme and reason,

She was a nightmare of a child.

She knows this,

because her mother told her so.

Ogbanje.

Ogbanje.

on the days she felt most abandoned by god

the child would close her eyes

and send her thoughts to

the medicine man in Igboland

like the axe that cut down the ngwu tree

isi adighi ya mma

the young voice would whip across the canopy

she is mentally unwell

and upon impact the words would burst forth

at the medicine man’s feet

“Dibia, biko, ewela iwe. Nyere m aka.”

Medicine man, please don’t be mad with me. Help me.

Situated between rhyme and reason,

She was a nightmare of a child.

She knows this,

because her mother told her so.

Ogbanje.

Ogbanje.

Uchechi Iheanacho is a Nigerian-American poet and artist based in Santa Barbara, California. A daughter of two Nigerian immigrants, her poetry often explores themes of culture and identity. When she isn’t crafting, Uchechi can probably be found dancing in her living room or making new friends around town. This is her first publication. Her poem splat was written after attending her first Santa Barbara Writers Conference in 2026. 

 

*an earlier version of this column was published in the Independent