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A Unicorn Gift for N

N loves puzzles. He also loves maps. I love toys that are easy to clean up and keep together. You may also know that I am addicted to all things Spanish and (try to) curate N and E’s book and toy selections to reflect that. So when I found this magnetic world map puzzle in SPANISH while looking for presents for N’s recent fifth birthday I was beyond thrilled (I’m not ashamed to admit these kinds of things bring me joy). It’s easy enough for N and his cousin (both 5) to do on their own, but challenging enough that it takes them awhile. I love that it gives me all the names of places in Spanish so I don’t have to surreptitiously Google them while pretending I know them all. (I don’t love that Puerto Rico isn’t named on the map and Slovakia is covered by the names/icons for other countries, but that is the consequence of being from where we’re from.) It’s a little pricey, so it’s not for everyone, but if you’re in the market for this kind of thing I highly recommend it!

Do you have any other suggestions for easy play, cleanup, and Spanish vocab building?

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Islandborn / Lola

I wasn’t always a sap, but something about the quality children’s books I’ve been reading lately has made me quite weepy. (I’m looking at you, Un Sillon Para Mi Mama…the first few reads of which I couldn’t get through without choking up.)

After a long wait, we finally received “Lola” in the mail. For those of you who enjoy contemporary fiction, you may recognize Junot Diaz as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (or one of his other very well received works). Earlier this year he published Islandborn (“Lola” in Spanish), the story of the journey a little girl undergoes to discover that the island on which she was born–and which she no longer remembers–is a part of who she is. Although I think this story has the ability to touch you, regardless of where you are from, readers from the Dominican Republic may see a beautiful part of who they are reflected in the pages–including the darker parts of its history. N (now 5!) was surprisingly moved by the story, and I’m not ashamed to admit I teared up towards the end as she realizes how much the island is a part of her and how much she is a part of the island.

Are there any picture books that make you weepy?

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