Once Upon a Cuento Giveaway!

Yes, the time has finally arrived. Once Upon a Cuento: Bilingual Storytimes in English and Spanish (co-authored by Jamie Campbell Naidoo and myself) is available for purchase in the ALA Store! I have to say, I am so proud of how this manual turned out. It is a complete guide for library staff on how to develop and implement a bilingual storytime program. Chapters focus on making the case for the need for bilingual storytime programs, conducting outreach to Latino communities, strategies for presenting bilingual storytime when you do not speak Spanish yourself, various formats and styles of presenting bilingual storytime, and using digital media in bilingual storytime settings. This is followed by 18 ready-to-use bilingual storytime plans and an extensive resource section that guides readers to useful books, music and online sources. If you are interested in bilingual storytime, this manual will help you find your way!

It should be noted that this manual can be used by librarians offering monolingual storytimes as well. If you are interested in Spanish-only storytime, the outreach guide, program plans, and resources will help you find your audience and design your programs. If you are interested in English-only storytimes, you will learn about excellent Latino authors and illustrators you can include in your programs, and what options are available to you to help make your programs more inclusive of Latino and Spanish-speaking families. There is truly something for everyone.

In celebration of its publication, I am giving away one copy of this title. Next month (August), I will be offering my final session of 2016 of "Bilingual Storytime at Your Biblioteca" through Library Juice Academy. This is a four-week, asynchronous online class in which participants will learn the details of and find helpful resources for planning and presenting bilingual storytime programs. Everyone who participates in this session of the workshop will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Once Upon a Cuento. Find more information about the workshop and full registration details here - http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/033-storytime-biblioteca.php. If you've been thinking about taking this workshop but have not yet had the chance, now is the time to join us! I hope to see many of you in the group next month!