The Ingredients that Make Us / Los ingredientes que nos hacen lo que somos

Written by David I. Santiago


Illustrations by Anne Vega

*ISBN: 979-8-89375-035-5


*Publication Date: May 31, 2026


*Format: Hardcover


*Pages: 32


*Imprint: Piñata Books


*Ages: 4-8

A boy’s cooking lesson with his grandmother turns into a lesson about his cultural heritage in this expressive bilingual picture book.

Young Luis lives in Chicago but regularly visits his grandmother and other relatives in Puerto Rico. He’s excited because on this trip he is going to learn how to make caldo santo, a special soup with lots of ingredients, some of which grow in Abuela’s yard.

Before they can start making the traditional dish, Luis will need to climb a palm tree in her backyard to harvest a coconut! With help from his cousin, he learns how to reach the fruit needed for the meal. From the top of the swaying tree, Luis can see houses, colorful vegetation—and the ocean that extends from his grandmother’s home to his on the mainland.

“To prepare caldo santo is to look into history,” Abuela says. She explains that the water in the soup is like the ocean that surrounds Puerto Rico; the pumpkin comes from the Taíno, the isle’s original, indigenous inhabitants; the beans, or gandules, were brought by African slaves and the coconut trees by the Spaniards. Putting them together in this special dish is a way to celebrate the people who lived before, those who “are still part of us.” Luis realizes that he may have grown up outside Puerto Rico, but the island remains inside him. This poignant bilingual picture book featuring Anne Vega’s illustrations depicting tropical life will encourage young readers to explore their own cultural heritage, all while enjoying Luis’ adventures on his island home.

DAVID I. SANTIAGO, a writer and technologist raised in the Chicago area, is the author of a story collection, Beware the Bantam Fighter (Arte Público Press, 2024), and a novel, Of Dubious Origin (Arte Público Press, 2025). His stories have been published in numerous journals, including the San Antonio Review, Fiction on the Web and other anthologies. He lives with his family in northern Virginia.

ANNE VEGA, an artist and illustrator, studied at the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She has illustrated four picture books, including Magda’s Tortillas / Las tortillas de Magda (Piñata Books, 2000) and El torneo de trabalenguas / The Tongue Twister Tournament (Piñata Books, 2016). She lives and works in Columbus, Ohio.

A Tribute to Marina Tristán- Part 2

Congratulations, Marina Tristán, on your retirement! This Friday, July 11th, marks the end of your work journey at Arte Público Press. I hope you’re ready to embrace this exciting new chapter of your life. After the first tribute, more authors and friends joined in, showering you with words of gratitude. Enjoy this second tribute. ¡Muchas felicidades, Marina Tristán!

 

 

*

 

Marina Tristan, un ser humano extraordinario.

 

I met Marina in Puerto Rico approximately 20 years ago.  We were introduced by Patricia Kelly, who is a dear friend to both of us.  

 

My story about Marina has absolutely nothing to do with books.  It has to do with who Marina is as a human being.  

 

Years ago, my cousin was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and was to be treated at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She and her mother were flying to Houston, a place they’d never been to and where they knew no one.  I called Marina in a desperate attempt to help my family. 

 

The very next day Marina went to the airport to pick them up and never let them go.  Marina’s actions towards my family are a testament to her character and her love for people. My cousin is healthy now, thankfully.  Brenda, Carmen Rosa and Marina love one another very much.

 

Marina holds a special place in my family and has met most of them at ALA and TLA  conferences, in Puerto Rico, and most recently in Michigan, my home state.  

 

Marina is without question one of the most generous and loving people I know.  I am blessed to have her in my life and to call her amiga.  ¡Te amo, Marina!

 

Con cariño,

~Ruth Tobar

 

*

 

After Piñata Books published, The Runaway Piggy/ El cochinito fugitivo, I was invited to Houston to do a school reading and present at the Houston Children's Museum. While there, Marina took me to lunch and asked me the question every writer wants to hear from a publisher, "Do you have any other stories for us?"

 

Piggy was my first book, and I knew my chances of publishing another were not guaranteed. Though I had a few picture book manuscripts, I knew they didn't fit with Arte's mission. I don't know why, but an audacity sprung inside me, and I said, "I have a story about a mummy from the museum in Guanajuato."

 

"Tell me more," Marina said.

 

I gave her the synopsis of Flor finding the mummy Rafa in her backpack, of how Rafa wanted to see the United States. When Rafa finds out El día de los muertos is coming, he wants to go back and celebrate.

 

Marina nodded, listening carefully, then said, "Send it to us."

 

I broke all the "rules" of first time authors with my impudence by saying, "I already did. You rejected it."

 

She frowned, but let me continue. "The story is part of a series I have planned called The Custodian's Diary. The custodian writes down the school events and tells the story—."

 

"Stop," she said, holding up her hand. I stopped speaking. She held up her hand. "That's the problem." Then she explained, "You have an adult telling a kid's story. Rewrite it from the child's point of view and send it to me again."

 

Her words turned on a light in the dark room of my brash, ignorant mind. I was so stunned with her response because it was both helpful and inviting that I don't remember how I responded. I do recall that on the flight home, I began my revisions. It took three months to revise. With help and guidance from Marina and Gabi, A Mummy in Her Backpack/Una momia en su mochila was published a year later.

 

I retell this story when I explain revision to elementary school students, and it always grabs their attention. Marina helps them understand that our good writing can get better the same way she helps me.

 

Marina's words and support are with me every time I write. Her voice is the kind editor in my mind encouraging me to continue, to improve, to tell stories to, for and about our Latino kids.

 

Mil gracias y abrazos cada día, Marina.

 

-James Luna, author of Growing Up on the Playground / Nuestro patio de recreo.

 

 

*

 

Marina's friendliness and positive energy were the very first things I noticed when we spoke on the phone, long before we ever met in person. When we finally met, she radiated the same warmth and enthusiasm. 

Through her dedication and belief in my book, it went on to receive two awards, gain placement in library journals, and led to memorable panel presentations. This couldn't happen without Marina.

She has a rare gift for making authors feel seen and valued. She guided me with care and patience as my book made its debut, always answering questions and taking the time to get to know me. I’m so grateful for her support and kindness every step of the way.

I hope her retirement is filled with all the joy, adventure, and fulfillment she has so generously shared with others throughout her career.

-Mona Alvarado Frazier, author of A Bridge Home

 

*

Marina is a feisty, no-nonsense woman who cares deeply for and seeks the best for Art Público’s authors. I’m one of those authors. I became a published author almost two years ago. Since day one, she has guided and supported me. She answers my silly questions and leads me in the right direction. She’s totally reliable, and her super-sharp focus gets things done, and done the correct way. I had the fortunate opportunity to hang out with her at the American Library Association author and exhibition event, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Her knowledge and dedication to Arte and its cause are admirable. I will miss her, and I am sure Arte will too, so with a bittersweet farewell, I bid Marina a joyful, healthy retirement. 

Adriana Camacho-Church, bilingual children's book author of Grandma, Where Will Your Love Go? and Grandma's Hair is Ankle Length.

 

*

 

I've known Marina for several years. I've been the recipient of her hard work and commitment to publishing strong, meaningful literature. She supported me when I doubted my writing. She encouraged me to write; she said positive things about my writing; and she never faltered in her duties to me as one of her writers. 

 

She was the face of Arte Público Press -- a face I consistently encountered at book fairs and festivals, at publishing meetings, at academic conferences. Marina was everywhere and I didn't question how it was so; and now, after June 20, she will be gone from the Press. Arte Público will carry on, of course. But for a few minutes today I choose to remember, fondly and with deep gratitude, Marina Tristán, Assistant Director, Arte Público Press.  Perhaps I imagine her explaining Arte Público Press to a visitor to the publisher's booth at a book conference a thousand miles from her home.   And she may have a copy of The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz in her hands.

 

Manuel Ramos, author of Blues for the Buffalo: A Luis Montez Mystery.

 

 

 

To read the first tribute to Marina Tristán click here, https://labloga.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-tribute-to-marina-tristan.html

 

 

 

 

The Closest Thing to a Normal Life

Written by Michael Méndez Guevara.

ISBN: 979-8-89375-013-3
Publication Date: May 31, 2025
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 272
Imprint: Piñata Books
Ages: 14-18

This page-turner for mature young adults deals with tragedy, 

starting over and social issues relevant to today’s youth.

There’s nothing remotely normal about seventeen-year-old Ethan-Matthew Cruz Canton’s life. His parents, journalists in Spain, were killed in a terrorist attack and now he’s living with his grandparents in San Antonio, attending his father’s high school for senior year. Narrated in the young man’s perceptive, witty voice, the novel opens with his plan to keep his head down, make it until June and then follow his parents’ footsteps to Northwestern University’s journalism program. But his idea to keep a low profile is quickly blown out of the water.

As Ethan-Matthew deals with incessant questions about his hyphenated name and his grief, he looks forward to the only “normal” thing available: writing for the school newspaper. He was set to be the editor at his high school in Spain, but now his story ideas are being ignored! With the encouragement and help of his new friends, he starts an alternative online newspaper to cover the overlooked students and staff.  Things escalate, though, when he writes about a racist incident—instigated by the school’s mostly white, privileged student body—that turns violent!

Amidst all the drama, Ethan-Matthew suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself romantically involved with another boy, his cross-country teammate and best friend Reid. Author Michael Méndez Guevara, a former high school teacher, writes convincingly about the lives of young adults on the path to self-discovery. This refreshing, intelligent novel dealing with the loss of loved ones, prejudice and the clash of social mores is sure to capture the imagination of teen readers.

“With humor and undeniable charm, Michael Méndez Guevara navigates the complexities of grief and shows how our deepest relationships ultimately shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The Closest Thing to a Normal Life reminds us what it means to find one’s place in the midst of chaos and change.”—Matt Mendez, author of The Broke Hearts and Barely Missing Everything

“Alarmed that your students are reluctant to pick up a book? Tempt them with the first pages of The Closest Thing to a Normal Life, and I predict they will be fighting to be the first to get their hands on your copy. The narrator takes readers on the roller coaster ride of his senior year—ups and downs that are testament to his gumption and resilience. Ethan-Matthew’s search for ‘normal’ is a contemporary odyssey.”—Carol Jago, associate director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA, taught high school English for many years and is past president of the National Council of Teachers of English.

“High school is hard enough without having to start over in a place that was never supposed to be home, living a life that was never supposed to be yours. Ethan-Matthew Cruz Canton wasn’t planning on spending senior year in his dad’s childhood bedroom, dodging questions about his ‘interesting’ name and pretending he’s totally fine (spoiler alert: he’s not). After losing both parents at once, that’s exactly where he lands—stuck in a school where friendships go back to the sandbox. Just trying to survive the year would be hard enough, but then there’s an unexpected pull of new friendships, tangled emotions, and a connection that makes Ethan-Matthew question everything. Suddenly, he’s not just figuring out how to grieve‒he’s navigating the exhilarating, messy blur between friends and something more. The Closest Thing to a Normal Life is heartbreakingly real, laugh-out-loud funny, and packs a twist you won’t see coming. For anyone who’s felt like they don’t quite belong or wondered if joy is possible after loss‒this book is for you.”—Annie Jenson, host of The History Solarium Book Club

MICHAEL MÉNDEZ GUEVARA has worked as a high school English teacher, instructional coach and curriculum writer. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, where he works as an educational consultant. This is his first published book.

Trini’s Magic Kitchen

 Written by Patricia Santos Marcantonio

 

ISBN: 979-8-89375-005-8

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 217

Imprint: Piñata Books

Ages: 10-15

 

Entertaining novel explores young girl’s family difficulties

alongside new adventures in the kitchen.

  

Trini has just started seventh grade in Denver when her mom loses her job. Money is scarce and they lose their apartment too. The girl must go live with her grandparents in Alamosa until her mother can find work and a place for them to live. She has always considered her grandparents’ house a second home, but the day her mom leaves her there she feels homeless.

Grandma Lydia and Grandpa Frank, who ride motorcycles and listen to rock, are the best, but Trini misses her mom and dreads being the new kid at school. Gradually she adjusts, making another best friend and setting her sights on a cute boy. And when her grandmother discovers Trini can’t cook, she begins teaching her granddaughter how to make traditional Mexican dishes. Through the cooking lessons, the girl learns more about her dad, who died when she was young, and why her mom doesn’t cook.

This warmhearted and entertaining novel about overcoming challenges will resonate with readers facing problems with family and friends. Recipes for the meals made by Trini and her grandparents—including tostadas, green chile enchiladas, calabacitas and albóndigas—are included and will encourage young people to begin their own adventures in the kitchen while learning the value of creating magical dishes for loved ones.

 

PATRICIA SANTOS MARCANTONIO is the author of Best Amigas (Fitzroy Books, 2023), Under the Blood Moon (Dark Ink, 2022), Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace (Crooked Lane Books, 2020), Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit (Crooked Lane Books, 2019), Verdict in the Desert (Arte Público Press, 2016) and Red Ridin’ in the Hood and Other Cuentos (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005). She lives and works in Boise, Idaho.

¿Qué es un poema? / What Is a Poem?

Text and illustrations by Jovi de la Jara

ISBN: 979-8-89375-016-4
Publication Date: May 31, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Imprint: Piñata Books
Ages: 4-8

Whimsical bilingual picture book shares the wonder of poetry

In this playful bilingual picture book for children, the author describes all the things a poem can do, like: “Puppies can be / planets / and flowers / can be kittens” and “the moon can be / square / and rain can be / laughter.”

Simple text describes the endless possibilities available in writing poetry; words can rhyme, run off the page or even be invented! Poems can be very long or super short. Jovi de la Jara’s fun black-and-white illustrations cleverly depict the humorous ideas: a dog’s face looks like a planet with a ring around it, flowers sprout cat faces and a cloud cries laughter. These original and sometimes abstract images will surely ignite kids’ imaginations!

This entertaining book is perfect for sharing the joy of writing poetry with young readers. Kids will be encouraged to explore the world around them and come up with their own inventive creations as they realize, “The poem is a mirror inside your head.”

“Effectively minimalist, it’s a creative multilingual exploration of the possibilities of line and verse.”—Publishers Weekly

JOVI DE LA JARA was born in the south of Chile, but lives in Houston where he is completing his PhD in Creative Writing in Spanish at the University of Houston.

GECKO GIRL / LAGARTIJITA

 

Written by Daniel Chacón.


Illustrations by Steven James Petruccio.

ISBN: 979-8-89375-014-0


Publication Date: May 31, 2025


Format: Hardcover


Pages: 32


Imprint: Piñata Books


Ages: 4-8

This fanciful bilingual picture book follows a young girl who wakes up to an unfamiliar face in the mirror!

Young Lizzy fell asleep while her dad was telling her a story. When she wakes up, she’s shocked to see she has tiny legs and weird little feet! She looks in the mirror and wonders what she has become.

Her father is dancing while brushing his teeth and nearly steps on her! So she crawls into the living room and asks their cat if he knows what she is. The feline decides she must be a fun toy! Running outside, she finds their dog, who thinks she looks like a tasty snack! As Lizzy continues wandering, she encounters an assortment of animals—spiders, a beautiful butterfly, an army of ants—all of whom have different, confusing opinions about her.

Later, when she opens her eyes, she’s very happy to see her daddy—and he knows exactly who she is: his “sweet, precious girl!” This whimsical bilingual picture book for children ages 4-8 contains Steven James Petruccio’s beautiful illustrations of the gecko girl and the creatures she meets on her journey of discovery. This lively story is sure to encourage young children to tell—and write—their own tales about identity and the world around them.

DANIEL CHACÓN is the author of a novel for young adults, The Cholo Tree (Piñata Books, 2017), and several for adults. A professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, this is his first book for children.

STEVEN JAMES PETRUCCIO illustrated The Boy Who Touched the Stars / El niño que alcanzó las estrellas (Piñata Books, 2019), and has been a professional artist for more than thirty years. He has illustrated over eighty picture books, including for the award-winning series, the Smithsonian Oceanic Collection. He is the recipient of the Rip Van Winkle Award from the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern New York for his contributions to children’s literature. He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

CASCARONES: AN EASTER SURPRISE / UNA SORPRESA DE PASCUAS

Written by Alicia Salazar.

Illustrations by Aimee Del Valle.

ISBN: 979-8-89375-015-7
Publication Date: May 31, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Imprint: Piñata Books
Ages: 4-8

This bilingual picture book depicts one family’s joyful Easter tradition.

A young girl named Victoria eagerly anticipates Easter and the confetti-filled eggs, or cascarones, she and her parents make for the holiday. As always, the preparation begins in January, and they collect eggshells for months.

Engaging illustrations by Aimee Del Valle show the family working together as Victoria describes the process of making the confetti-filled eggs, from gently creating a hole in the shell to drain the insides, to covering the hole with colored paper, dying them bright colors, inserting the confetti and decorating the colored shells.

When Easter Sunday arrives, her dad hides the eggs at the neighborhood park, where all her aunts, uncles and cousins gather. Her younger brother Nicolás enjoys his first Easter egg hunt and quickly learns how to find the treasures. And when all 100 cascarones have been found, the boy is in for one final surprise! This bilingual picture book for children ages 4-8 is a joyous celebration of family and the Mexican-American holiday tradition of making—and cracking on each other’s heads!—eggs filled with colorful paper. Kids will want to try making their very own cascarones to celebrate the special day.

Review

Holiday customs come to life in this festive and heartwarming tale.”—Kirkus Reviews

ALICIA SALAZAR is the author of the Camila the Star series published by Picture Window Books, which includes Camila the Soccer Star (2022), Camila the Dancing Star (2022) and Camila the Baking Star (2021). She lives and works in Conroe, Texas.

AIMEE DEL VALLE is a visual artist who works extensively in watercolors. She has illustrated two books: Super Who? Super Me! (Kind-Kidz, 2021) and The Kind Kidz Club (Kind-Kidz, 2021). She lives and works in France.

RACING AT DEVIL’S BRIDGE AND OTHER STORIES / CARRERAS EN EL PUENTE DE DIABLO Y OTROS CUENTOS

 

By Xavier Garza

Spanish translation by Alaíde Ventura Medina

 

ISBN: 979-8-89375-003-4

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 129

Imprint: Piñata Books

Ages: 8-12

 

Spooky creatures from Latin American lore lurk in these entertaining stories for young people.

 

In the title story, a boy breaks his mom’s rule against staying out after dark because he is intent on training for the big state track meet. When his younger sister turns up and challenges him to a race across Devil’s Bridge, he taunts her—but is ultimately stunned when she beats him. But more shocking is the sudden appearance of a terrifying figure sporting a goat’s head and wielding a rusty ax!

 

The stories in Xavier Garza’s new collection feature creepy creatures from Latin American lore with a contemporary twist. There’s Christina, who the bullies dub “Donkey Lady” because of her odd-sounding laughter, but who later terrifies her abusers—and gets the last laugh! Joaquín’s grandfather has been told to vacate his property so the border wall can be built across it, but an Aztec eagle refuses to let the authorities kick the old man off his land. Vince and Marina find an old Ouija board under their dead grandmother’s bed and when a malevolent spirit springs from the game, the old woman’s infamous flying chancla appears to send the demon packing!

 

Accompanied by the author’s striking illustrations of chupacabras and other monsters, the blood-curdling stories in this bilingual collection for kids ages 8-12 are sure to lure even the most reluctant readers into its pages.

 

 

Other Books in the Series

 

THE DONKEY LADY FIGHTS LA LLORONA AND OTHER STORIES / LA SEÑORA ASNO SE ENFRENTA A LA LLORONA Y OTROS CUENTOS

 

Margarito is eleven years old now and he’s way past believing in Grandpa Ventura’s ghost stories, but he loves listening to them anyway. One evening on his way home from his grandfather’s, Margarito finds himself alone in the gathering dusk, crossing a narrow bridge. Suddenly, a woman in white floats towards him and calls, “Come to me, child … come to me!” He frantically hides in the shallow river, but soon sees a pair of yellow, glowing eyes swimming towards him. Before long, the Donkey Lady and La Llorona are circling each other, fighting to claim poor Margarito as their next victim!

 

Popular storyteller Xavier Garza returns with another collection of eerie tales full of creepy creatures from Mexican-American lore. There are duendes, bald, green-skinned brutes with sharp teeth; thunderbirds, giant, pterodactyl-like things that discharge electricity from their wings during thunderstorms; and blood-sucking beasts that drain every single drop of blood from their victims’ bodies!

 

Set in contemporary times, Garza’s young protagonists deal with much more than just the supernatural: there are chupacabras and drug dealers, witches and bullies, a jealous cousin and the devil. Accompanied by the author’s dramatic black and white illustrations, the short, blood-curdling stories in this bilingual collection for ages 8 – 12 are sure to bewitch a whole new generation of young people.

 

 

KID CYCLONE FIGHTS THE DEVIL AND OTHER STORIES / KID CICLÓN SE ENFRENTA A EL DIABLO Y OTROS CUENTOS

 

Cousins Maya and Vincent are thrilled to be ring side at a lucha libre match. Kid Cyclone, the wrestling world’s favorite hero who also happens to be the kids’ beloved uncle, is facing off against a devil-masked opponent, El Diablo. “No masked devil can beat my uncle. Not even the real devil himself,” declares Maya. But the real devil doesn’t take kindly to such disrespect, and soon Kid Cyclone finds himself fighting the most hellish challenger of all!

 

Popular kids’ book author Xavier Garza returns with another collection of stories featuring spooky characters from Mexican-American folklore. There’s a witch that takes the shape of a snake in order to poison and punish those who disregard her warnings; green-skinned, red-eyed creatures called chupacabras that suck the blood from wild pigs, but would just as soon suck the blood from a human who has lost his way in the night; a young girl disfigured in a fire set by a scorned lover who gets her revenge as the Donkey Lady; and the Elmendorf Beast, said to have the head of a wolf with skin so thick it’s impervious to shotgun blasts.

 

Accompanied by the author’s striking illustrations of the creepy creatures, the hair-raising stories in this bilingual collection for kids ages 8 – 12 are sure to lure even the most reluctant readers into its pages.

 

 

XAVIER GARZA is the author of numerous books for young people, including The Donkey Lady Fights La Llorona and Other Stories / La señora Asno se enfrenta a La Llorona y otros cuentos (Piñata Books, 2015) and six volumes in the Monster Fighter Mystery series / Serie Exterminador de monstruos. He lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas.