Tíos and Primos

Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
A little girl meets more relatives than she can count—but how will she communicate with them if she can’t speak their language?

It’s a little girl’s first trip to her papa’s homeland, and she’s wowed by all the amazing sights and sounds—and especially by the size of her enormous family! But she only knows a little Spanish, and it’s hard not to be able to share jokes and stories. Fortunately, her relatives help her see that there are other ways they can connect, and soon she feels like she’s right where she belongs: in the heart of a loving family, learning as she goes along.
Jacqueline Alcántara (JacquelineAlcantara.com) is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books, including Jam, Too? by JaNay Brown-Wood, The Field by Baptiste Paul, Freedom Soup by Tami Charles, Jump at the Sun by Alicia D. Williams, and Kirkus Prize finalist Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos. Her books have been named Best Books of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and The Horn Book. Tíos and Primos is Jacqueline’s author-artist debut and was inspired by her visits to Honduras with her father. She draws and teaches illustration in Chicago, Illinois.
Jacqueline Alcántara View titles by Jacqueline Alcántara
* “A young girl connects with her family on a trip to Honduras with her father despite language barriers. Equipped with a simple ‘Hi, how are you?’ in Spanish, the child prepares to meet her tíos and tías, primos and primas. . . . Through all the banter and stories shared between family, the girl comprehends only a few words, and her attempts to speak Spanish falter when her primos don’t understand her. Papa and the child drive up a mountain until they arrive at a little house where Abuela lives. There, the girl discovers new ways to bond with the familia she initially didn’t know. In her debut as author/illustrator, Alcántara deftly explores the unintended but oh-so-relatable awkwardness that sometimes crops up among families due to language barriers. A palpable sense of hope progressively pervades each encounter as the protagonist slowly breaks through that initial discomfort to forge connections, offering encouragement to readers in similar situations. Meanwhile, the vibrant gouache, marker, and Photoshop artwork features earth tones in its vivid portrait of Honduras. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. This thoughtful and meaningful look at extended familia is a true gem.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About

A little girl meets more relatives than she can count—but how will she communicate with them if she can’t speak their language?

It’s a little girl’s first trip to her papa’s homeland, and she’s wowed by all the amazing sights and sounds—and especially by the size of her enormous family! But she only knows a little Spanish, and it’s hard not to be able to share jokes and stories. Fortunately, her relatives help her see that there are other ways they can connect, and soon she feels like she’s right where she belongs: in the heart of a loving family, learning as she goes along.

Author

Jacqueline Alcántara (JacquelineAlcantara.com) is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books, including Jam, Too? by JaNay Brown-Wood, The Field by Baptiste Paul, Freedom Soup by Tami Charles, Jump at the Sun by Alicia D. Williams, and Kirkus Prize finalist Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos. Her books have been named Best Books of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and The Horn Book. Tíos and Primos is Jacqueline’s author-artist debut and was inspired by her visits to Honduras with her father. She draws and teaches illustration in Chicago, Illinois.
Jacqueline Alcántara View titles by Jacqueline Alcántara

Praise

* “A young girl connects with her family on a trip to Honduras with her father despite language barriers. Equipped with a simple ‘Hi, how are you?’ in Spanish, the child prepares to meet her tíos and tías, primos and primas. . . . Through all the banter and stories shared between family, the girl comprehends only a few words, and her attempts to speak Spanish falter when her primos don’t understand her. Papa and the child drive up a mountain until they arrive at a little house where Abuela lives. There, the girl discovers new ways to bond with the familia she initially didn’t know. In her debut as author/illustrator, Alcántara deftly explores the unintended but oh-so-relatable awkwardness that sometimes crops up among families due to language barriers. A palpable sense of hope progressively pervades each encounter as the protagonist slowly breaks through that initial discomfort to forge connections, offering encouragement to readers in similar situations. Meanwhile, the vibrant gouache, marker, and Photoshop artwork features earth tones in its vivid portrait of Honduras. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. This thoughtful and meaningful look at extended familia is a true gem.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more