I’m often the one being interviewed by a TV anchor or a reporter. Last week, I was the one asking the questions to Leticia Ordaz, KCRA in Sacramento, an NBC affiliate. Leticia is the award-winning author and founder of Cielito Lindo Books publishing house. Her debut book, The Adventures of Mr. Macaw/Las Aventuras de Mr. Macaw just received four International Latino Book Awards for 2020, including Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Bilingual, and Best First Book – Children & Youth. Her second book, That Girl on TV Could Be Me, The Journey of a Latina News Anchor will be released in October.
Leticia and I talked about books, her career delivering the news every day, the importance of creating a substantial book library at home, and the challenges of balancing her career and motherhood in the last several months.
The Adventures of Mr. Macaw/Las Aventuras de Mr.Macaw is a bilingual tale about two Latinx brothers who are gifted abuelito’s magical kite. They find out the true spirit of the villagers in Mexico when a tropical storm hits and sweeps their kite away. It is a story of adventure and the magic in our families’ histories. When I asked Leticia why she founded Cielito Lindo Books, she said that she wanted to establish a company that would promote literature for Latino children.
“My hope is that Latinx children see themselves represented in our bilingual children’s books and know that they matter and that they can achieve anything despite any adversity in life.”
I encourage you to watch our IGTV!
Tips for parents for the next school year:
- Brain breaks: Stop after every subject and allow the child to move around, take a few minutes before diving into the next subject.
- Be patient: This system is new to the child. He is used to being in the classroom and a different routine with a teacher.
- Be patient with yourself! This is new for the parent too.
- Set boundaries and stay positive
- Be an advocate for your children, for the children in your community, especially if they don’t have access to WIFI or computers at home. Ask for help, communicate with the teachers, the administrators. Request teacher’s to call your child or do at-home visits to go over or drop off materials, if necessary.
For information about Leticia’s books, follow her on Instagram @leticiaordaztv.
Thank, you, Leticia!
