top of page
How Chile Came to New Mexico by Rudolfo Anaya is a bilingual picture book that fictionalizes how chile became New Mexico’s most prized vegetable. This story was chosen to be featured on the website because it discusses an important facet of New Mexican cuisine—chile. The official state question of New Mexico is “Red or Green?” Additionally, this book was chosen because it will meet the reading needs of children four to eight years old. Finally, is easily accessible from my local Taos Public Library, and many other New Mexico libraries.
A Perfect Season for Dreaming by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is a whimsical bilingual picture book meant for children to exercise their imaginations. Ultimately, the story was chosen for the website because it showcases traditional magical realism often seen in Hispanic literature. Sáenz’s picture book will be a great read for children between the ages of four and eight years old. Like How Chile Came to New Mexico, this book was also accessed through my local library as a print book available for check-out.
Grandma Lale’s Magical Adobe Oven by Nasario Garcia is a special story to New Mexicans because it showcases one of our best kept cooking secrets, the adobe oven. The adobe oven has been an integral part of New Mexican and Native American homes for many generations. This bilingual picture book wonderfully depicts the adobe oven for young audiences between the ages of six and ten years old. I was fortunate enough to find this book at my library, Taos Public Library.
Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla by Demetria Martinez and Rosalee Montoya-Read is perfect for younger audiences, ages five to ten years old. This picture book is bilingual, English and Spanish, and includes nods to cuisine special to New Mexico. Like Perfect Season for Dreaming, this story is also magical realism for our youngest readers. Overall, the book will be a wonderful addition to the website as it has a magical story and is easily accessible from local libraries like my own.
Dance of the Eggshells by Carla Aragón is the story of familial traditions being passed down to the newest generation by grandparents. The bilingual picture book is a great addition to the website because it describes Spanish traditions merging with New Mexico to reflect the state’s history. Aragón’s story is perfect for children ages eight to twelve years old. Last, this book easily accessible at my local library, Taos Public Library.
Grandpa Lolo’s Matanza by Nasario Garcia is a bilingual story about a town-wide pig roast tradition in New Mexico. The ritual dates all the way back to when Spaniards brought the first pigs to New Mexico. This story is a modernized telling of how small towns celebrate the Matanza to feed their communities. This story may deal with difficult topics, such as animal death, and would be best suited for ages eight to twelve. I was able to find this story at my local library for check-out.
The Farolitos of Christmas by Rudolfo Anaya is a bilingual picture book that describes the classic Christmas traditions of New Mexico, like reenacting Los Pastores and Las Posadas, while lighting a path to “mis Crismes.” Anaya’s incredible tale will be included on the website because farolitos are a large part of New Mexican Christmas tradition. Furthermore, the story has a reading level of eight to eleven years old, perfect for early to mid-grade readers. The Christmas picture book was found through my local library, and is a staple in many other New Mexican libraries.
Benito’s Bizcochitos by Ana Baca is a fictionalized origin story of how biscochitos came to New Mexico. The official state cookie is an indispensable part of New Mexico cuisine with its unique recipe and tradition of bringing families together to bake. The age level for this book is going to cover ages ten and up. Children and teens alike will enjoy the story and perhaps create their own biscochitos from the recipe in the book. That said, the bilingual picture book is available through Amazon and will need to be purchased.
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is an incredible depiction New Mexican life in the 1940’s. I chose this book for the website because it is often seen as the quintessential book of New Mexican culture. There are elements of family, religion, and magic within the pages. This chapter book is suitable for children thirteen years and older because of the content, and reading difficulty. This book can be found in any New Mexican library and even beyond.
The Day It Snowed Tortillas by Joe Hayes is a light-hearted story that I wanted to include on the website. Many of New Mexico Children's Literature is filled with information on the culture; however, this book is a fun folktale that will bring a smile to anyone's face. The reading difficulty of this book is 8-10 years old but children of all ages would enjoy listening to this tale. The book is located at my local library, but is also available online via eBook.
bottom of page