By Erika Said
Illustrations by Diana Zela
*ISBN: 979-8-89375-020-1
*Publication Date: October 31, 2025
*Format: Hardcover
*Pages: 32
*Imprint: Piñata Books
*Ages: 4-8
This vivid bilingual picture book tells the story of a girl who values both where she comes from and her new home.
Rocío is a Mexican girl who was born in a small town with a beach. But one day, her dad decided to move his family. “Pack your bags. We’re going to the States to have a better life.”
In short, poetic prose, Rocío remembers the journey and compares her new life to the one in her village. “I live in an apartment building with lots of neighbors. I used to live on a ranch with cows and chicks.” In Los Angeles, she and her parents take the bus to go places, but in Mexico they walked or rode bikes—or even a horse! In school, she speaks English and eats lunch in the cafeteria. In addition to the delicious food her mom cooks, Rocío loves to eat hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries with ketchup!
Containing colorful illustrations by Diana Zela that contrast country life with city living, this bilingual picture book accompanies a young girl who moves with her family to a new country. She appreciates where she comes from but also enjoys her new home. Ultimately, Rocío realizes that she can be two things at the same time. “I am a girl from Mexico and North America.”
ERIKA SAID is the author of a bilingual picture book for children, El cumpleaños de mi hermana Dulce / My Sister Dulce’s Birthday (Piñata Books, 2022), and several books for adults, including iPoems: Poemas en Shuffle (El Humo, Querétaro, 2013). Her work has been published in Mexican and US magazines such as Revista de Literatura Mexicana Contemporánea and Círculo de Poesía. Her writing has been anthologized in numerous books, including Lados B (Nitro Press, 2018), Viejas Brujas II (Aquelarré Editoras, México DF, 2017), Along the River II (VAO, McAllen, 2012) and El infierno es una caricia (Fidaura, Mexico DF, 2011). She is a PhD student in the Creative Writing Program in Spanish at the University of Houston.
DIANA ZELA studied design and visual communication with an emphasis in illustration at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She illustrated Cuando eran como tú (A Fin de Cuentos Editorial, 2024) and has worked with numerous other publishers, including Pearson and Castillo.
No comments:
Post a Comment