Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina, illustrated by Claudio Munoz (Candlewick, 2011). 

For this story’s young protagonist and her Tia Isa, having a car means trips to the beach. It means working extra hard to save up a little at a time. Having a car means there’s room in the back for family members far away. Having a car means freedom for an auntie and her niece.

Tia Isa wants a car.

But Tio Andres laughs when he hears his sister’s plan.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” he says. “You’re not a rich queen! We walk to everything we need here, Isa. Now, what’s for dinner?”

Tia Isa just whistles as she steps over Tio’s work boots— muddy like ogre shoes— and stirs our black-bean soup.

These two have a lot of determination and grit. And even better, when all the work is done, they know how to kick off their shoes and high tail it to the ocean. 

(Image source: Meg Medina’s website)

Tia Isa Wants a Car book trailer. This will give you a taste of Claudio Munoz’s vivacious artwork. 

My Abuelita (2009) by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Yuyi Morales.

It’s no secret that I love Yuyi Morales. And this book, written by Tony Johnston is the perfect match, bringing just the right mix of magic and love for Yuyi Morales’ work to soar.

A young boy lives with his Abuelita and their cat, Frida Kahlo. 

My abuelita is round. Robust, she says, like a calabaza. A pumpkin. She doesn’t mind. She likes pumpkins.

“Being round gives me a good round voice,” she tells me. “Just the voice for my work. 

Abuelita goes through her daily routine to get ready for work: stretching, singing in the shower with “deep, boggy, froggy notes,” eating huevos estrellados, starry eggs for breakfast and packing up her “carcacha, her jalopy, with all the things she needs.” Luckily, the boy and Frida Kahlo both help out when she forgets little things here and there. 

Finding this book is like falling in love. Exuberant, warm, with so much personality gushing right off the pages. An instant favorite. 

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred (2011) by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Rafael Lopez.

Another picture book that features people of color on the farm (granted there’s lots of animals, too). A young farm maiden starts making arroz con leche and gets lots of help from her friends on the farm. Told in the style of “The House that Jack Built,” the goat, the cow, the duck, the donkey, the hen and the campesino all contribute ingredients to cook up one big pot of deliciousness. Rafael Lopez adds some spice of his own with his enthusiastic illustrations.

Bonus: When you finish reading this and feel like you want to cook up your own pot of arroz con leche, there’s a recipe right there for you to do it.  

Chato Goes Cruisin’ (2005) by Gary Soto, illustrated by Susan Guevara. 

Chato’s back and has won a cruise for two. Who does he pick to come along but his homecat, Novio Boy. 

Chato became dreamy.

“Man I’ve always wanted to taste coconut milk.”

“Plus eat fish tacos en la playa.”

“And there’s lots of sand for you-know-what.”

They giggled and gave each other a low-four. 

“But wait! I don’t like the ocean. It’s got too much agua in it.”

Chato and the Party Animals (2000) by Gary Soto, illustrated by Susan Guevara.

Chato, “the coolest carnal in all of el barrio” helps his friend Novio Boy celebrate his birthday. Here’s a little taste of the fun:

  Chato licked his paws and called all their friends to invite them to the  pachanga. He dialed his friend Sharkie, a DJ. 

“Homecat,” Chato meowed. “You awake?”

“I am now, dude,” Sharkie said.

“It’s Novio Boy’s birthday tomorrow,” said Chato. “I want you to come and spin some oldies but goodies.”

It is definitely fun to read a children’s book with the words pachanga and homecat. One thing to be aware of is there is a quasi-adoption story line with Novio Boy. “‘I’m from the pound,’ Novio Boy purred sadly. ‘I don’t know when I was born. I never knew my mami. I never even had a birthday party, or nothing.’” 

Chato’s Kitchen (1995) by Gary Soto, illustrated by Susan Guevara. 

Chato’s got some new neighbors and wants to invite them over to eat them for dinner. 

Yes, it was a whole family of fat, juicy mice moving into the house next door. Chato raked his tongue over his lips and meowed a deep growling meow. The mice froze with their belongings on their backs. They began to shiver like leaves in the wind. Chato was the tallest cat they had ever seen!

“Orale, neighbors,” Chato purred.

“Don’t be scared of me. I’m a cool, low-riding cat.”

Frida (2002) by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Ana Juan. 

From the moment you open the pages, the gorgeous artwork of Ana Juan sweeps you up. Frida is a sleeping baby being carried by a colorful serpent into the world. She is sick in bed as a child, teaching herself to draw so that she is not sad. She’s running at school. She’s in a horrible accident that almost kills her, leaving her to live with pain for the rest of her life. “But Frida doesn’t cry or complain. Instead of crying, she paints pictures of herself crying.” Painting saves her. 

Jonah Winter does not try and shelter kids from the truth of Frida’s life. “Frida imitates no one in her style. Her paintings are like nothing else. In museums, people still look at them and weep and sigh and smile. She turns her pain into something beautiful. It is like a miracle.”

My Colors, My World (2007) by Maya Christina Gonzalez. 

A cute girl and her even cuter bird bring the colors out from the browns of the desert. Poppin’ pinks, lush greens, brown mud pies with orange marigold petals. Not your typical intro to colors book. Thank goodness!