It is the holiday season, at last. Around the globe, communities celebrate their traditions with delicious food, vibrant colors, and family gatherings. It is a time of unity. To accompany you and your loved ones this season, check out these books about the many winter holidays that make this the most wonderful time of the year.
The Last Tamale by Orlando Mendiola | Illustrated by Teresa Martinez
It’s the best day of the year—tamale day. Luis and his family have been making and eating tamales all day. But when Luis, Jacob, and Letty all want the last tamale, there's only one way to choose a winner...
A TAMALE BATTLE!
Round one: Dance Battle. Round Two: Lucha Libre Match. Round Three: Arm Wrestle with Abuelita.
Who will get the last tamale?
A celebration of family, food, and friendly competition, readers will be hungry for The Last Tamale! Perfect for fans of Paletero Man and Friday Night Wrestle Fest.
Why We Celebrate Chinese New Year: Everything to Know about Your Favorite Holiday by Eugenia Chu | Illustrated by Javiera Mac-lean
Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is a holiday that marks the end of winter and the coming of spring. It's one of the most celebrated holidays in China and around the world! Learn all about the history, traditions, food, and more with this book of facts and activities that encourage you to join in on the fun.
So many ways to get festive—Discover how Chinese New Year is celebrated around the globe with fireworks, dragon dances, parades, gifts, and beyond!
Celebrate at home—Kids will explore Chinese New Year customs with included activities like making Chinese Dumplings and Paper Chinese Lanterns.
Fascinating facts and pictures—Vibrant illustrations and kid-friendly language help bring Chinese New Year to life.
Discover Why We Celebrate Chinese New Year!
La Noche Before Three Kings Day by Sheila Colón-Bagley | Illustrated by Alejandro Mesa
It’s almost Three Kings Day, and while the grownups prepare a large meal, the kids prepare their shoe boxes for los Reyes to arrive later that night. Will they stay up late enough to wish the Kings a Feliz Día de los Reyes? Or will the magic pass them by?
Sing along with a great big familia as they fill up their platos, play their favorite juegos, and wait for the three kings and regalitos to arrive.
This enchanting celebration of a beloved holiday is brought to life through lively rhyming dual-lingual text by Sheila Colón-Bagley with festive illustrations from Alejandro Mesa.
Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello
City girl Tia Solanké is dreading the festive season. She and her boyfriend are on a break and the last thing she wants is to spend Christmas away from London. Dragged to Saiyan Hedge Farm by her mother, Tia takes an instant dislike to the countryside estate. She falls in horse manure, is chased by sheep and the Wi-Fi sucks. How can she stalk her ex and concoct a foolproof plan to win him back from here?
Country boy Quincy Parker and his family run the farm, and this year they’ve been selected to host the biggest event in town—the Winter Ball. Preparations are underway, and Quincy is working around the clock to make it a success while recovering from his own devastating breakup. The only problem is, he’s told everyone he has a date to the ball, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
At first, Tia and Quincy don’t see eye to eye—until they realize they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up appearances and save the day, or will real feelings get in the way?
It's Navidad, El Cucuy!: A Bilingual Christmas by Donna Barba Higuera | Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo
Ramón is a little boy who can't wait for Navidad.
El Cucuy is the friendly monster who lives in Ramón's bedroom. He's not so sure that Christmas is for him. The lights are too bright, and the snowman is scary!
So if El Cucuy is hesitant to embrace the holiday cheer, then Ramón will have to bring the spirit of Navidad to him.
A tender, heartwarming story about facing the unknown with a friend by your side, this companion to El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! explores the magic of the holidays and coming together as a community.
May Your Life Be Deliciosa by Michael Genhart | Illustrated by Loris Lora
“What is the recipe?” I ask.
Abuela laughs. “It is in my heart, Rosie. I use mis ojos, my eyes, to measure. Mis manos, my hands, to feel. Mi boca, my mouth, to taste. My abuela gave it to me, and I am giving it to you.”
Each year on Christmas Eve, Rosie’s abuela, mamá, tía, sister, and cousins all gather together in Abuela’s kitchen to make tamales—cleaning corn husks, chopping onions and garlic, roasting chilis, kneading cornmeal dough, seasoning the filling, and folding it all—and tell stories. Rosie learns from her abuela not only how to make a delicious tamale, but how to make a delicious life, one filled with love, plenty of spice, and family.
A Very Mexican Christmas by Carmen Boullosa, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Carlos Fuentes, Laura Esquivel, Amparo Dávila, Sandra Cisneros
This seventh installment in our popular Very Christmas series is a celebration of the Mexican Yuletide spirit. Replete with mouthwatering Nochebuena meals, mysterious felines, multi-colored boxes, marvelous sweet rolls, and many a bedside tale, A Very Mexican Christmas is sure to delight, warm, and astonish by turns. You’ll find spellbinding work by some of Mexico’s most important writers, including Carlos Fuentes, bestselling Laura Esquivel, and other contemporary favorites like Amparo Dávila, Sandra Cisneros, Fabio Morábito, and Carmen Boullosa, as well as fresh translations of classics by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Amado Nervo, and Ignacio Manuel Altamirano. Get a glimpse of how Christmas is done in a land of no snow, as well as among Mexicans living north of the border, with this sparkling assortment of literary gems that will guarantee a very feliz Navidad.
Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares is a Venezuelan writer living in New York City who loves to consume, study, and create art. She explores multiple genres in her writing, with a special interest in horror and sci-fi, while working on her B.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration.
Her work has made her a two-time recipient of the James Tolan Student Writing Award for her critical essays analyzing movies. She has also won The Henry Roth Award in Fiction, The Esther Unger Poetry Prize, and The Allan Danzig Memorial Award in Victorian Literature.
In her free time, she likes to watch movies, dance, and draw doodles that she hopes to be brave enough to share one day.
