Annie's Book Share: Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

The following books I feel will be excellent resources for elementary level teachers to use during Hispanic Heritage month (September 15 through October 15).

My favorite book that I will use this year during Hispanic Heritage month is the Pura Belpré Illustrator honor book The Pot That Juan Built written by Nancy Andrew-Coebel, illustrated by David Diaz. This book is a duel text with narrative in the form of a rhyme on one page with an accompanying non-fiction page describing Juan the potter and the process of making traditional Mexican pottery. I really like that this book makes a nonfiction text more appealing to young students with rhyme and repeated text.

The second resource I feel would be an excellent read aloud during Hispanic Heritage month is the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award and a Pura Belpré Author Honor book Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart. This book is an excellent Hispanic folk tale, which tells the story of Flor a giant woman who is kind to everyone in her village and all of the animals. The main topic of the story is how she helps her village when they are terrified of the giant puma. The students will enjoy this story because of the beautiful illustrations and the Hispanic elements in the text.

The third book I enjoyed is especially good for use with students who are children of farm workers because it tells the story of Cesar Chavez, the friend of the farm workers. Additionally it is an excellent resource to share with students about peaceful problem solving and standing up for what you believe in. The book is called ¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes, we can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz. This book received both the Pura Belpre illustrator and author honors. It is a beautifully written biography in the form of poems. It describes the entire life of Cesar from birth until death.