12 books in English
2 CDs in English
12 Books in Spanish
2 CDs in Spanish
Each of the twenty four books in this collection is dedicated to some of the most important holidays and festivities celebrated in the United States in the combination of two books in one. The first part is an engaging realistic fiction story beautifully illustrated by a diversity of illustrators. The second part is a non-fiction piece that explains the history and significance of the holiday or celebration. This second part is illustrated with bright and unique photographs that will allow children to witness the celebration.
The celebrations depicted in the books give testimony to the multicultural tapestry of the society of the United States. Cultures are far more than celebrations, but a look at the way in which different people celebrate can help us to discover the commonalities among people. People from all cultures in the world celebrate, and while the expression of the celebrations may be different, their essence is common to all human beings, since all cultures celebrate family, historical significant moments, particular achievements, moments of hope.
This series will facilitate that children develop an appreciation for the cultural diversity of the society of the United States. It fosters appreciation for the richness offered by diversity and for the importance of unity within diversity.
The fact that each book presents fiction and non-fiction texts may facilitate children understanding their own differences and complementariness.
There are universal values presented in each book of the series. These are examples of some of them
Search for a just and equal society
Celebration of one’s cultural identity
Passing on a cultural inheritance & its values
Appreciation of unity within diversity
Richness of a variety of traditions within a multicultural society
All books in the series
Lesson plans and questions to guide the Creative Reading Dialogue can be found at the SantillanaUSA website.
There are two CDs with the readings of the twelve stories in English and two CDs with the readings of the twelve stories in Spanish.
The CDs will allow children to follow a professional reading aloud individually or in groups.
They can be beneficial to children learning a second language, whether English or Spanish, since they will be able to read the book in their stronger language and then listen to the recording in the second language, or vice versa.
Creating this series with Alma Flor Ada was a most meaningful project. We wanted to give all children the opportunity to know more about themselves and others, to explore the multicultural reality that lives around us, to understand the heart and the mind of those that surround them. We like to emphasize that “To know is to respect, and also a way to love”.