It is officially summer vacation! In this post I bring you four books that feature Austin authors or illustrators or talk about Austin! I did not plan it, I just realized when choosing my feature books they had this in common!
In case you have not heard, many public libraries in our area are launching the summer reading challenge, which this year is themed: Color Our World.
Families who register & log books or hours read this summer receive prices! Brazoria County Libraries, Fort Bend County Libraries , Houston Public Library, Harris County Libraries & Pasadena Libraries are only a few of the library systems in the area participating. Prices vary per system & sometimes even branches, so visit your local library to find out more!
Created by the Texas State Library & Archives Comission, the program is an incentive for children to read over the summer & avoid the “summer slide,” which is when students lose academic progress gained during the school year. If you are an adult who loves to read, you can definitely join the adult summer reading challenge too! These are four books that will engage readers for their humor & local relevance.
1. Monty and the Mushrooms
Written by Dev Petty, illustrated by Jared Chapman (from Austin!). A funny read featuring Monty, an introverted marmot who has to deal with a very extroverted (read LOUD) patch of newly sprouted mushrooms. Chapman’s humorous style puts the cherry on top to Petty’s narrative, the smiles of the mushrooms reminding me of Chicken Run characters. After much pleading & begging Monty is ran out of his home but not without the mushrooms paying a price. In her author bio Petty admits that she is out to write stories that “make you laugh a lot and think a little,” but as a Junior Library Guild winner, the book subtly takes an obnoxious American-cartoon-style book to one that reminds children of the realities & circle of life.
Vocabulario en español:
- marmot — marmota
- mushroom — hongo, seta, champiñón
- hummingbirds — colibrí, chupaflor
- hum — en este contexto “murmullan”
- fretful — impaciente, quejoso
2. Umami by Jacob Grant
So maybe this one stands out as not being a local pick. But this local (to her village) penguin decided to branch out which is not a bad book to read at the start of summer vacation, in case you need some time to gather your resolve & there’s no annoying mushrooms to set you off.
Jacob Grant has such a distincive art style. Author also of No Pants! & No Fair! I think an underrated title is Through With the Zoo, about a little petting zoo goat whose had it! I have yet to read Little Bird’s Bad Word.
Umami is a delectable read, and not only because it is about food. Umami is the 5th taste receptor (sweet, savory, sour, bitter being the other four) which has been turned into MSG. It is more of a savory meaty flavor, illustrated by Grant with spaghetti and meatballs. A feel good story with enticing illustrations, Umami is also the namesake of our penguin protagonist.
Tired of diving from a cliff after her friends & eating only cold fish, Umami sets off on an adventure as an explorer of new places and NEW FOODS. This is definitely a subtle title to use for PICKY EATERS, my own one said she wanted to try cold fish after reading this book. Grant does not go too exotic or extravagant with his meals: this is the first time Umami leaves her village after all! Maybe in the sequel she will reach more obscure places ha ha
Este libro es muy fácil de traducir. Vocabulario desafiante:
- sour — agrio
- bitter — amargo
- gobble up — engullir
- have punch — tener (tiene) impacto
- feast —banquete, fiesta, festín
3. Mistaco
Written and illustrated by Austin, Tejas native, Eliza Kinkz. A Spanglish blend, Mistaco is a clever twist on the term “eating your mistakes, ” which Izzy quite literally does under her Lito’s guidance. If feels like Izzy’s life is stuck between a Burt Toast Theory & Murphy’s Law continuum! She claims, albeit frustratedly, that she is the president of mistakes & today she made more than she’d like to admit.
Having dough land on her face while making tortillas with Lita es la gota que derrama el vaso though, and Izzy finally breaks down & explains why she is so flustered. Her confession has her extended family holding back laughter. As a bilingual family, we have already adopted the term mistaco, especially for mistakes that make us feel a bit embarrased. My son for example mixed way too much epoxy sculp clay & ruined the whole batch by not following instructions! He made a mistaco. Kinkz’ book, very much like the Burnt Toast Theory reminds us that maybe our tiny every day mistakes are an inconvenience, but we also have the emotional capacity & intelligence to move past them & show mercy to ourselves.
This is not the first time I review a Kinkz book! Click this link to read about Papá’s Magical Water Jug Clock. I have since also purchase the Spanish version of Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas, both by Jesus Trejo & illustrated by Kinkz. I love her illustrators! Me & my children were excited to meet her at Brazos Bookstore early in April! As you can see, she signed all our copies of her work! If you head on over to Dreamers Books + Culture you can snag a signed copy of Mistaco yourself!
I am sure the translation is forthcoming, but here is some Spanish vocab. This one actually also mentions hummingbirds so see above lol:
- mistake — error, equivocarse
- slurp — sorber
- momentarily — momentariamente
- whispered — cuchichear
- feeder — comedero
Written by Janet Nolan, illustrated by Emily Cox. It’s so cool to see a book about the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin written by non-texans. I think this is definitely worth the read because the trip is accesible to us here locally! Nolan’s lyrical & non-judgemental narrative will engage toddlers to 3rd graders. It’s interestering to read that the “Bat Capital of America,” which now attracts tourist for their evening flight once felt unrest when four million Mexican/Brazillian free-tailed bats first began roosting in their city!
The book includes a foreword by Dr Merlin Tuttle, bat biologist, who simmered the panic & explained that Texans actually wanted bats in their ecosytem, especialy to eat mosquitoes! Backmatter provides bat facts written in more essay style. We do not have to drive to Austin to witness bats: Last fourth of July we saw bats flying as we watched for fireworks in our front yard. This is a neat book to read as local Texans!
Non-fiction titles may take more time to translate due to the informative vocabulary. This is a lenghtly title, but I will leave you with the core translations:
- bat — murcielago
- upside down — boca abajo (literally “mouth-down”), al revés (to me is more inside out)
- noncturnal — nocturnos
- environment — ambiente
- mosquitoes — Mexican Spanish uses zancudos (long legged)
Spanish speakers from other countries may say mosquitos (little fly).
This article discusses the etymology of the word mosquitoes, an English borrowing from the Spanish/Portuguese literally means “little fly“
And there you have mostly books by Austin natives & about Austin, Texas to start your kids off with light summer reading! The diverse way in which these artists used food as a theme in three books is testament to the power of human creativity. Let me know which one you like best.
Biblioterika 