What is the most wondrous thing that has ever happened to you?

The Picture Book of the Week is El cabello maravilloso de Dalia in Spanish and Dalia’s Wondrous Hair in English. It is a dual language book written and illustrated by Laura Lacámara.

About the Book:

Dalia is a young girl whose hair grows overnight into a tall stalk emerging from the top of her head. Dalia and her mama don’t think anything is strange. In fact, Dalia goes outside and begins to decorate her hair with leaves from the Coontie plant. Her neighbors are disapproving of her smelly, dirty hair, but Dalia and her mama don’t care. As her mama tries to guess what kind of tree she is, Dalia drops clues. What happens next is wondrous!

Watch the author read the book here:

Writing Prompt for Kids:

English:

Maybe you’ve never had butterflies born in your hair, but think of the most wondrous thing that has ever happened to you and write about it.

Espańol:

Tal vez nunca han nacido mariposas en tu cabello, pero piensa en los mas maravilloso que te ha sucedido y escribe sobre ello.

I would love to hear your stories. If you would like to share, please send your story to contact@alicia-salazar.com.

Happy Writing!

What do you do at night when you are supposed to be in bed?

The Picture Book of the Week is Tired Town, written by Patricia Marx and illustrated by Roz Chast.

About the Book:

Nellie Bee Nightly is not tired, even though it is bed time and even though she might or might not have yawned. She would rather jump on her bed, or build a pool in the floor of her room, or a slide from her room to the bathroom. There are so many things she could be doing instead of sleeping that she ignore that fact that even her night stand and socks are sleepy and refuses to go to be.

Parents will find Nellie Bee Nightly’s situation eerily familiar and kids will find it hilarious.

Watch a discussion with author Patricia Marx and illustrator Roz Chast here (it’s about an hour long):

Writing Prompt for Kids:

English:

What do you do at night when your parents think you are asleep? Write about it.

Español:

¿Que haces tu en la noche cuando tu mamá y papá piensan que estas dormido/a? Escribe sobre esto.

I would love to read your stories. If you would like to share, please send your story to contact@alicia-salazar.com.

Happy Writing!

How did your parents put you to bed?

The Picture Book of the Week is Salsa Lullaby, written by Jen Arena (jenarenabooks.com) and illustrated by Erika Meza (erikameza.com).

About the Book:

As the title suggests, Salsa Lullaby is a story about bedtime. It is about a baby that is being lulled to sleep by his/her mother and father. The salsa lullaby starts out joyful and raucous and progressively gets quieter and calmer the closer it gets to lights out. There is rhyme and a refrain and Spanish words to practice or learn. This book is a nice addition to a bedtime reading list and might inspire a new bedtime ritual or two.

Writing Prompt for Kids:

English:

How did your parents put you to bed? Did you have a ritual? Tell a story about it.

Español:

¿Tus padres como te preparaban para dormir? ¿Tenian un ritual en particular? Cuenta un cuento sobre tu experiencia.

I would love to read your stories. If you would like to share, please send your story to contact@alicia-salazar.com.

Happy Writing!

Have you ever been in a staring contest?

The Picture Book of the Week is The Duck Never Blinks, written and illustrated by Alex Latimer.

About the Book:

The Duck Never Blinks is an interactive book that asks the reader trying to make the duck blink by shouting, telling sad stories, tricking the duck, and much, much more. This book is definitely meant to be read aloud as kids will enjoy joining in with the narrator’s mission.

I love picture books about ducks, especially the ones that put a twist on traditional plots. Anyone who has ever been obsessed with an outcome will relate.

Writing Prompt for Kids:

English:

Have you ever been in a staring contest? Challenge someone to a staring contest — it can be more than one person. Write about the funniest experience.

Español:

¿Alguna vez haz estado en un concurso de miradas fijas? Reta a alguien a un concurso de miradas fijas — puede ser mas de una persona. Escribe sobre la experiencia mas chistosa.

I would love to read your stories. If you would like to share, send your stories to contact@alicia-salazar.com.

Happy Writing!

Where do you come from?

The Picture Book of the Week is Magia en una tierra muy lejana, written and illustrated by Mirelle Ortega.

About the Book:

Magia, available in Spanish and English, is a story about the magic of transformation. The transformation of soil into pineapples. The transformation of words into stories. The transformation of threads into blankets. But, most of all, the transformation on belonging into art. The girl telling the story is painting a picture with words of the place that she grew up – a place, long left behind, that still influences her present and gives her a feeling of belonging.

Writing Prompt for Kids:

English:

Where do you come from? Do you have memories that link you to a place where you grew up? Tell a story by drawing, or making, a blanket decorated with your memories.

Español:

¿De donde vienes tu? ¿Tienes recuerdos que te enlazan con el lugar donde creciste? Dibuja una cobija, o hazla, decorada con tus recuerdos.

I would love to see your drawings. If you would like to share, send pictures to contact@alicia-salazar.com.

Happy Writing!

How do you express happiness?

The picture book of the week is the happiest book ever, written and illustrated by Bob Shea.

About the Book:

This book wants to be the happiest book ever. It has a real chocolate, dancing cake, a whale with good news, a sun with a new haircut, and host of other happy things. Only one things stands in the way of total happiness: a big, green, frowny frog. Will the book get the frog to smile and make this book the happiest ever?

Watch the trailer here:

Writing Prompt for Kids:

English:

The frog in this book expressed his happiness in a different way than the other objects expected. How do you express your happiness? With a smile, a balloon, a shout, a laugh, or something else?

Español:

La rana en este libro expresa su felicidad en una manera distinta a la que esperaban los otros objetos. ¿Como expresas tu felicidad? ¿Con una sonrisa, un globo, un grito, con risa, u otra cosa?

I would love to read your stories. If you would like to share, please send them to contact@alicia-salazar.com.

Happy Writing!

Is your New Year’s resolution to get your kids to read more? To get them to learn some Spanish words? To have them learn to persevere and work towards their goals?

Capstone has a set of Camila the Star books available in a 14-book set, including titles like Camila the Baking Star, Camila the Stage Star, Camila the Record-breaking Star and Camila the Video Star.

Each book follows Camila on her quest to achieve her goals through hard work, practice, and dedication.

Follow the link below to find out more:

https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/products/camila-the-star-6/

Two new Camila the Star stories are almost here. Starting on January 1, 2024, kids can enjoy two all-new adventures featuring Camila overcoming obstacles and living her dreams.

In Camila the Fashion Star, Camila has big plans to create a show called “How to Be a Fashion Star.” The first step is designing a new outfit with her best friend’s help! Will Camila find the right fabric and make the right stitches to become a real fashion star?

In Camila the Music Star, Camila wantsto play an instrument. Her music teacher offers her a few to try. From the deep beat of the drums to the trill of the flute, which instrument will pave the way for Camila to become a music star?

Now available with a read-along feature, I hope you enjoy following Camila along on her trajectory straight to the stars.