They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems by David Bowles 

This slim poetry collection becomes more relevant with each passing day. They Call Me Güero chronicles the life of twelve-year-old Güero, a Mexican American boy living on the swath of land near the Rio Grande. Although he lives on the American side of the river, his heritage and identity are deeply rooted in Mexico.  He frequently traverses the bridge connecting the two countries. In Mexico he and his father eat breakfast and purchase fresh groceries. Güero's imagination inhabits his grandmother's world filled with chilling tales of mythical monsters. He possesses distinctive physical characteristics which distinguish him from other members in his community: a light complexion with freckles and a head of bright red hair.

Bowles handles sensitive topics with a light touch. Racism, stereotypes, immigration are part of Güero's life and are subtly revealed throughout the narrative. This is a boy discovering a world closely connected to his heritage, family, and friends.    Spanish is clearly an important feature in the text. Bowles liberally peppers these verses with Spanish phrases and references to Mexican and Mexican-American culture. A glossary for most of the phrases with pronunciation and the English equivalent enriches the reading experience. This is especially helpful when reading aloud. The poems can be read as a collective narrative.  They also work well as standalone vignettes.  Read. Enjoy. Discuss. Share. Repeat.

¡Gracias!

​THE REFUGE ON THE RANCH It's quiet here except for the hushed flow of the river and the hum of the bugs answered by the sharp trill of birds Somewhere, an ocelot growls. ​ "I know poetry when I hear it.”

Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song by Amanda Moeckel

Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song is a tribute to the power of inspiration and determination. Khalida is awakened from slumber by a melody stirring inside her. This young pianist heads to the keyboard in search of the haunting tune. Time and time again she sits down to the piano to capture the music in her head. Repeatedly she is told "Not now." Not at home. Not at school. Not at her music lesson. When the melody returns to her mind during a visit to the park, she races toward the piano located on the park's grandstand. Khalida is determined to capture this song. She begins to play the music that has been welling up inside her. Music flowed through her fingers, onto the keys, and into the air.

The song ripples around Khalida as she sleeps.

She searches for the opportunity to bring her inspiration to life.

The young musician brings the  music inside her to life.

Meet Amanda

Amanda is a 2015 MFA graduate from the School of Visual Arts.  In addition to illustrating children's books, she also teaches, works for editorial publications, accepts personal commissions, and maintains a pet portrait business.   View the video trailer for her dummy picture book Only Good Dreams, her thesis project for the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program.

Book Trailer - "Only the Good Dreams" from Amanda Moeckel on Vimeo.

More Picture Books

The Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2018

​Since 1952, we’ve convened a rotating annual panel of three expert judges, who consider every illustrated children’s book published that year in the United States. They select the winners purely on the basis of artistic merit. The judges this time were Leonard Marcus, a children’s literature historian and critic; Jenny Rosenoff, a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library; and Bryan Collier, the author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books and a past winner of the award.

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Sawyer Taft isn’t exactly debutante material. Working as an auto mechanic, she has managed to keep a roof over herself and her oft-times absent mom. Grandmother Lillian Taft arrives and offers her a contract: a five hundred-thousand-dollar college education trust fund in exchange for living with Grandmother for one year and participating in the annual Symphony Deb Ball. Sawyer decides to sign up. Her primary motivation is certainly not for all the trappings of her grandmother's southern society life.  She wants to learn the identity of her father. ​

Looking for more intrigue? Try these

Teach Your Giraffe to Ski 
by Viviane Elbee  ill Danni Gowdy

When a task is daunting, you sometimes need a little incentive. Take skiing. It's a sport that requires training and a measure of courage. Meet a boy who is hesitates to try something challenging. Can he step away from his comfy chair and soothing hot chocolate? Giraffe wants to ski and she is not waiting another minute. She's heading out to the slopes. Now. Our young protagonist realizes that without basic instruction this rash impulse portends disaster. Grabbing his skis, he heads out in the snow. He teaches giraffe how to: put on a pair of skis, slow down "the pizza move," speed up "the french fry stance, "and turn "S shape maneuvers."

Viviane Elbee explores the anxiety associated with attempting something  difficult. It’s a story of overcoming one’s fears and being willing to take risks. She injects plenty of humor and whimsy, which prevents the story from becoming a heavy-handed moralistic tale. Grab a copy of Teach Your Giraffe to Ski. Then be brave and try something new.

Giraffe Gyrations

Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Eleven-year=old Isabella feels that she is constantly being pulled in different directions. Her life ping-pongs back and forth, as her parents share custody. She lives part-time with her black father, his girlfriend and her son. Alternate weeks are at the home of her white mother and future stepfather.  Two different homes. Two different families. Every. Other. Week. At dad's house, she is Isabella and practices her music on a grand piano. To mom she is Izzy and prepares for her upcoming recital on an electronic keyboard. Then there are the Exchange Days, the dreaded moments when her two sets of parents meet at the mall and Izzy/Isabella must switch backpacks, lifestyles, and identities. It's confusing.

Listen Up

Additional Sharon M. Draper Books

The ABCs of What I Can Be
by Caitlin McDonagh

Caitlin McDonagh explores possible life choices in this charming picture book. The alphabet serves as a template for exploring career options. Most pages are divided into quandrants showcasing a quartet of possibilities. For example, the letter L page illustrates a landscaper, lawyer, librarian, and lifeguard.  Amazingly, there are four careers for the letter X: xerophytic gardener, xylophone player, x-ray technician, and exobiologist. Less familiar careers can pique curiosity and send youngsters researching, which can promote some interesting discussions.  Personal note: As a Kindergartner, my son learned the word "paleontologist" and declared that was what he wanted to be when he "grew up."  For him, cool word equaled cool careers.

Meet Caitlin

Darius the Great is Not Okay
​by Adib Khorram read by Michael Levi Harris

Meet Darius Kellner, "Fractional Persian," slightly overweight sophomore, and tea aficionado. His commentary is liberally sprinkled with references to Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. He adores his Persian mother, dotes on his younger sister Laleh, and navigates a complicated father/son relationship. He's nerdy and possess a biting wit referring to classmates as the "Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy," and frequently doubts himself "That's normal. Right?" He is also a young man suffering with clinical depression. Life takes an unexpected turn when the family travels to Iran to visit his Zoroastrian grandfather who is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Darius confronts the reality of his identity as a young man of Persian heritage who has been raised in a decidedly western culture. Is he American or Iranian? Is it possible to be a part of each? ​He discovers that he has a talent for playing soccer/non-American football, a love for his maternal family, and the ability to forgive and be forgiven by a friend. Darius returns to America with increased acceptance of himself, greater appreciation for his family, and a clearer understanding his depression.

Bonus: Listen up

Random Musings

King Alice by Matthew Cordell

How does one follow up after an award-winning wordless book? Matthew Cordell ventures in a completely different direction, introducing readers to King Alice, a precocious girl who is filled with opinions, stories of her own creation, and ideas. Lots and lots of ideas. She does not want for words. It's a snow day, which means that everyone in the household is homebound. For one regal young lady, its a day filled with possibilities: make-over for dad, tea party, writing a story, watching the TV show "Unicorn Buddies," creating a unicorn stampede.  ​ Inevitably, Dad reaches his breaking point. The antics are too much. Alice is sent to time out. ​The King apologizes. ​Dinner. Bath. Bedtime stories. Peace restored. ​​ ​Dad and King Alice are the main attractions in this day's escapades, but a mother, infant, and cat have cameo roles.

More Matthew Cordell