During the month of January, our Instagram Live guests were children’s book authors that are making a difference in the lives of bilingual kids with their books. From Lara Mercado and her book Coquí de Boriquén con Los Reyes a Belén to Cristina Sicardi and her books Harmony and Sábana de Sloth to Jennifer Vassel and her book I Am Unique! To last’s week’s guest Natalia Sepúlveda, bestselling author of Kai the Missionary Sea Turtle. All these books have a message of hope, diversity, accepting change, accepting others, and the value of respect towards others and towards the world we live in.
Kai the Missionary Sea Turtle/Kai la tortuga marina misionera, is now a bestselling bilingual Christian children’s book on Amazon. Kai and his friends meet in Sunday School where he tells them about missionary life and about his love for Jesus. The book also teaches children the colors, names of the sea animals, and instruments, as well as Bible verses in both English and Spanish. There is a bonus section that includes a Christian parenting guide, a bilingual world map, and facts about missionaries that parents can share with their children.
Natalia is a translator who has translated and edited over 60 children’s books and educational resources in Spanish. She’s the Co-founder of Panem Project, a media company and mission’s agency supporting missionaries around the world. She is also the founder of her platform Bilingual Lifestyle, where she offers support and resources for parents as they navigate their family’s bilingual journey.
I invite you to watch our IGTV!
3 Tips To Raise Bilingual Kids That Have Worked for Natalia’s Family
- Be flexible
- Find books with characters that speak Spanish
- Find activities that relate to the book and keep reinforcing the messages and the language. She calls this bookishplay.
- Balance of activities- daily routine should include a bit of everything: read, play, listen, do.
For more about Natalia and her books on Instagram @bilingual_lifestyle
Thank you, Natalia!
