New Children's Books for 2010

Chavela and the Magic Bubble

By Monica Brown. Illustrated by Magaly Morales.

Product Details
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (May 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547241976
• ISBN-13: 978-0547241975


Product Description
Chavela loves chomping chicle—chewing gum. And she loves blowing bubbles even more. One day, while out with her abuelita, she finds a mysterious kind of gum she’s never seen before. She pops it in her mouth and blows a giant bubble that lifts her up into the air! It carries her on a journey more magical than any she could ever imagine.

Luscious, candy-colored paintings illustrate this fantastical story with an ecological twist. An afterword provides information on natural chewing gum, the rainforest, and sustainable farming, as well as music to a traditional Latin American folksong.


About the Author
Monica Brown is author of several award-winning books, among them My Name Is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito, illustrated by Raúl Colón. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. Find out more about Monica at www.monicabrown.net.


Magaly Morales is also the illustrator of A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora. She lives in Mexico. Visit her at www.magalymorales.com.

Abuelo vivia solo/ Grandpa Used to Live Alone
By Amy Costales. Illustrated by Esperanza Gama.

ISBN 9781558855311
Published 30 Apr 2010
Bind Hardcover
Arte Público Press


A loving homage to the abiding presence of a grandparent in a young girl’s life

Grandpa used to live alone in a quiet pink house. But when his granddaughter was born, everything changed: “Mamá and I moved in. Grandpa’s house was still pink, but it was not so quiet anymore.”


And Grandpa’s house and garden weren’t as orderly either. Sometimes Grandpa had to pick his way through toys strewn across the floor. Other days he watched her pluck rose buds and beans from his plants. And some days his brick patio was decorated with brightly colored chalk.

While she was a little girl and her mother went to school late in the evening, Grandpa made rice pudding. She would play with the measuring cups and eat raisins while he prepared their bedtime snack and told her stories. Then he would carry her upstairs to her crib and tuck her in. He would rock in the chair by her crib until she went to sleep.


As the years pass, she grew and grew. Grandpa took down her crib and bought her a bed. He taught her how to make rice pudding and play catch. And while she was growing, Grandpa was growing older too. Until all too soon, she was the one making the rice pudding and helping her grandfather up the stairs to bed.


Amy Costales’ heart-warming text, accompanied by Esperanza Gama’s soothing illustrations, lovingly depicts the relationship between a child and a central figure in her life—her grandfather.

Fiesta Babies

by Carmen Tafolla. Illustrated by Amy Cordova.

Product Details
• Pub. Date: March 09, 2010
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• Format: Hardcover, 24pp
• Age Range: For infants or children in preschool
• ISBN-13: 9781582463193
• ISBN: 1582463190

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Fiesta Babies go out on the town—right-side up and upside down!

Fiesta Babies march on parade wearing coronas Mamá has made.

Fiesta Babies dip right in—salsa out and salsa in!

About the Author
CARMEN TAFOLLA is a widely anthologized, award-winning Mexican American poet and author. Her previous books with Tricycle Press include What Can You Do With a Rebozo? and What Can You Do With a Paleta? She lives in San Antonio, Texas.

AMY CÓRDOVA is an artist and educator who lives in the mountains of northern New Mexico, where she and her partner, Dan Enger, own a gallery brimming with their bold and colorful works. Her previous book with Tricycle Press, What Can You Do With a Rebozo?, won the Pura Belpré Honor for Illustration.