Mamiachi and Me: My Mami's Mariachi Band
Today’s the day! Rosa will take the stage next to her mami and play along with her popular mariachi band. But as they fasten the shiny botonaduras and tie the moños on their charra suits, Rosa begins to worry. What if the audience doesn’t like her? Is she ready to perform?
With her “mamiachi” and madrinas by her side, Rosa’s stage fright is soothed away by the sound of trumpets, guitars, and violins. Centering on the power of sisterhood, community, and music, the warm and lively text by mother-and-son writing duo Jolene and Dakota Gutiérrez—joined by Mirelle Ortega’s beautiful illustrations—provides a unique perspective to the male-dominated world of mariachi. Back matter includes additional context on the history of the beloved Mexican tradition and the rise of all-female mariachi groups, as well as a glossary, a bibliography, further reading, and a fun, detailed look at a mariachi’s signature charro suit!
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The Ofrenda That We Built
It is Día de Muertos—the Day of the Dead—and the family ofrenda is at the center of the celebration! Inspired by the popular nursery rhyme “The House That Jack Built,” The Ofrenda That We Built invites readers to join in the building of a colorful ofrenda, a home altar full of symbols and meaning, one special element at a time.
Too Much! An Overwhelming Day
A reassuring rhyming picture book about sensory overload and what you can do when everything is too much.
“At a time when parents and teachers struggle to teach kids about how close is too close—what is appropriate personal space—here comes Mac and Cheese to gently show the way. Jolene Gutiérrez’s text and Heather Bell’s illustrations provide a light-hearted story that demonstrates how kids live, think, and act.”
When Ana takes off flying across the high school stage, her life is forever changed. Searching for answers, Ana meets Gabrielle, her mentor. Gabrielle teaches Ana that she’s an angel and is here on Earth to help prepare for a war between good and evil. The only problem? Ana can’t always tell who’s good and who’s evil. While she’s learning, Ana meets the man of her dreams, Dylan. He’s gorgeous, sexy, and really seems to care about Ana. Even though he’s a demon, Ana’s heart tells her to trust him. Then Ana’s world is shattered and she finds herself alone and afraid. As the boundaries between good and evil blur, Ana realizes she no longer knows who she can trust and who might be out to kill her.
Reviews and Endorsements
"It had all the qualities I love in a book. It was fresh, exciting, it made me cry, it made me laugh and as I like to say it had enough juice to keep me going. I love the witty characters. There was NEVER a dull moment." —Ciecie from GoodReads
When feelings go on overload,
I pause and breathe
and all is . . . slowed.
Sometimes everything is too much! Too loud, too bright, and all too overwhelming. Writing from her own experience with sensory processing disorder, Jolene Gutiérrez's compassionate picture book explores the struggles of a sensorily sensitive child and how they settle themselves. Joined by Angel Chang's beautiful illustrations, young readers will learn that it's OK if some days are too much. An extensive author's note to caregivers and educators explores sensory systems, sensory processing issues, and specific information about how to support kids with overstimulated nervous systems as they learn to soothe themselves.Get your copy here.
Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks
What happens when a young elephant steps on a buried land mine? What happens when a sea turtle's flipper is injured by a predator? Thanks to recent advances in technology, we have new ways to design and build prosthetic body parts that can help these animals thrive. Meet an Asian elephant named Mosha, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Lola, a German Shepherd named Cassidy, a greylag goose named Vitória, and Pirate, a Berkshire-Tamworth pig. Each of these animals was struggling, but through a variety of techniques and technologies, humans created devices that enabled animals to live and move more comfortably. Discover the stories of how veterinarians, doctors, and even students from around the world used 3-D printing and other techniques to build bionic body parts for these amazing animals.
What happens when a young elephant steps on a buried land mine? What happens when a sea turtle's flipper is injured by a predator? Thanks to recent advances in technology, we have new ways to design and build prosthetic body parts that can help these animals thrive. Meet an Asian elephant named Mosha, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Lola, a German Shepherd named Cassidy, a greylag goose named Vitória, and Pirate, a Berkshire-Tamworth pig. Each of these animals was struggling, but through a variety of techniques and technologies, humans created devices that enabled animals to live and move more comfortably. Discover the stories of how veterinarians, doctors, and even students from around the world used 3-D printing and other techniques to build bionic body parts for these amazing animals.
Reviews and Endorsements
“Scientifically inclined readers will enjoy this in-depth application of STEM to disabled animals.”—Kirkus “Examining environmentalism, animal rescue, and technological possibility, this science-filled book for upper-elementary to middle school readers entertains in many forms.”—School Library Journal
"Bionic Beasts by Jolene Gutiérrez is a must-have book for the upper elementary classroom. ...The organizational structure of each chapter will entice several different types of readers. Readers who prefer a narrative text structure will enjoy the main text that tells the story of each injured animal and the humans who designed the prosthetic and performed the operation to attach the artificial body part. Other readers prefer expository text and will enjoy the text block that features general facts about each animal species. Those readers who prefer to read “how to” texts will particularly enjoy the hands-on experiments at the end of each chapter." —Kate Narita at teachersbooksreaders.com
“Scientifically inclined readers will enjoy this in-depth application of STEM to disabled animals.”
"Bionic Beasts by Jolene Gutiérrez is a must-have book for the upper elementary classroom. ...The organizational structure of each chapter will entice several different types of readers. Readers who prefer a narrative text structure will enjoy the main text that tells the story of each injured animal and the humans who designed the prosthetic and performed the operation to attach the artificial body part. Other readers prefer expository text and will enjoy the text block that features general facts about each animal species. Those readers who prefer to read “how to” texts will particularly enjoy the hands-on experiments at the end of each chapter." —Kate Narita at teachersbooksreaders.com
Get your copy here.
Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader
Mac and Cheese are the class guinea pigs, and Oliver is their biggest fan. He loves taking care of them and learning about them. Oliver is a very scientific kid and carries around a notebook to write observations and sketch things he notices. He’s struggling to make friends, though, so he watches Mac and Cheese because they’re the best friends he knows. He sees them snuggling and cuddling with each other and assumes that to be a good friend, he’ll need to get cuddly with his classmates. With the help of his classmates, teacher, and a hula hoop, Oliver learns about personal space.
Get your copy here.
Reviews and Endorsements
“At a time when parents and teachers struggle to teach kids about how close is too close—what is appropriate personal space—here comes Mac and Cheese to gently show the way. Jolene Gutiérrez’s text and Heather Bell’s illustrations provide a light-hearted story that demonstrates how kids live, think, and act.”
—Avi, winner of the Newbery Medal and author of over 75 books
“Adorably illustrated and gently written, Mac and Cheese is a delight.”
—Elana K. Arnold, award-winning author of A Boy Called Bat and What Riley Wore
“Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader is a cute and fun book helping to explain the character’s struggle with understanding human proxemics. Not able to naturally interpret the non-verbal cues of his classmates, his caring teacher and his love for the class animals help him logically understand this slice of human social processing.”
—Craig A. Knippenberg, LCSW, M.Div., author of Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions To Ensure Your Child’s Social and Emotional Success.
Stars of Latin Pop Series
Get your copy here.
Devil.May.Care
When Ana takes off flying across the high school stage, her life is forever changed. Searching for answers, Ana meets Gabrielle, her mentor. Gabrielle teaches Ana that she’s an angel and is here on Earth to help prepare for a war between good and evil. The only problem? Ana can’t always tell who’s good and who’s evil. While she’s learning, Ana meets the man of her dreams, Dylan. He’s gorgeous, sexy, and really seems to care about Ana. Even though he’s a demon, Ana’s heart tells her to trust him. Then Ana’s world is shattered and she finds herself alone and afraid. As the boundaries between good and evil blur, Ana realizes she no longer knows who she can trust and who might be out to kill her.
Reviews and Endorsements
“If you liked Twilight. . ., you'll love this book!" —Sarah L. Keeter from Amazon
"From the moment I met Ana, clinging to the curtain of the school's stage 20 feet up in the air, I was hooked." —Michelle Hermann from Amazon
"Gutierrez has written a well-thought-out story that had no problems keeping my interest." —Annette from Annette's Book Spot
