Most of us are trying to figure out our professional careers in our mid-twenties. Many start-up in one area and then move around to others before that “Aha” moment strikes, and they find their calling. A few gifted ones know it from the beginning, especially if languages and cultures had played a part in their life growing up. That was the case with our IG Live guest, Natalia Simons, author, and publisher of Bilingo Books, a children’s books line that embraces diversity, languages, and cultures.
A story-teller at heart, Natalia grew up with an English father and a Spanish mom in England. Her love of the Spanish language and the Spanish culture was instilled by her mother and her grandmother and relatives in Spain where she spent many summers during her childhood. “My mom and I have this connection because of Spanish. I loved that she and I had our own language to communicate within England. It created this forever bond that I will always be grateful for.”
Natalia always loved writing and after spending half a year traveling to 8 Latina American countries at 25, she knew what she wanted to do next. Write about her experience in these countries, with a character that was bilingual, like her, and that would teach the reader to appreciate their bilingualism.
I invite you to watch our IGTV!
In addition to Spanish and English, Natalia also speaks Italian and studied French. Through her books, she is determined to highlight the beauty of speaking different languages and learning about other cultures and teaching children to be proud of who they are.
Her first book, Spanglish Girl/La Chica Espanglish, is a story of a girl that spends the summers in Spain with her grandparents and the rest of the year in England where she lives with her parents. When she is in Spain, she can’t speak much Spanish and gets teased by the village children. Her grandmother helps her understand the gift of being bilingual. Her second book, the Mexiglish Girl/La Chica Mexiglish, is about a bilingual girl that learns about Mexican culture, and the newest book, The Frenglish Boy/Le Garcon Franglais, the story of a boy that learns to be proud of his dual heritage.
Natalia is also the author of an alphabet book for toddlers in Spanish called ABC Spain.
Excited to keep following Natalia for more books that would make wonderful additions to our bilingual, multilingual and multicultural children’s home libraries!
For more about Natalia and her books follow her on Instagram @bilingobooks.
Thank you, Natalia!
