I would like to share a new children’s book with you. El viaje de Yenebi a la escuela (Yenebi’s Drive to School is the Spanish edition which Charlie can read in his Homeschool Foreign Language class because he has been wanting to learn Spanish. For those of us who are like and and know nothing of Spanish Charlie said we can use Google to translate the book or we can get the English book to read write aside the book.
In the meantime take a look at the cover don’t you like the Palm Trees? How about the pretty sky in pink and blues? Then look inside at all the illustrations and you can create your own story until you learn English. If you know of a Spanish Teacher this book would make a wonderful gift for them for Teacher Apprecition week. Come join us as we try and learn to read this cute book.
El viaje de Yenebi a la escuela (Yenebi’s Drive to School Spanish edition)
Dreamers meets School’s First Day of School in this vibrant story that puts a whole new spin on one loving family’s morning drive to school.
Entre semana me levanto a las cuatro de la mañana.
Me cepillo los dientes, me visto y arrastro a mi hermana Melanie hasta el carro donde nos espera mami.
¡Se nos va a hacer tarde! ¡Apúrense!
Durante las siguientes dos horas viajaremos en carro. Pasaremos por los vendedores de tamales (mi parte favorita), por la línea (mi parte menos favorita) y cruzaremos la frontera hacia los Estados Unidos. Así es como llegamos a la escuela todos los días. Esta es nuestra rutina. ¡Vamos!
Con un tono ganador y radiante, y con una paleta brillante y cordial, la autora-ilustradora Sendy Santamaria hace su debut con esta historia sobre el viaje de una niña, un viaje que la propia Sendy hacía de niña como ciudadana estadounidense residente en México. El viaje a la escuela de Yenebi lleva a los lectores a recorrer un trayecto que muchos reconocerán como muy similar al propio.
INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY: By celebrating the daily details of a child’s commute to school that reflects the author’s experience, this universal and inviting picture book is truly a mirror, a window, and a door.
TIMELY TOPIC: An accessible approach to a serious (and seriously underdocumented) part of American life for many young readers. Teachers, librarians, and parents will appreciate the way this book blends the importance of current events in an easily understandable narrative that kids will enjoy following along with.
FAMILY-CENTRIC: The journey described in this story—a loving family’s daily trip to school—is timeless and relatable, yet wonderfully specific.
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES: Like Last Stop on Market Street, this book leans into the narrator (and creator)’s very particular experience and yet makes the individuality of such an experience highly relatable, communicating to readers that even their most personal routines are part of what connects them with all humans. Young readers who take the bus to school or get driven a few blocks by their parents will see what makes them similar to kids like the author, even if the shape of their routines are different.
FRESH APPROACH TO A CLASSIC TOPIC: The author turns the “back to school” trope on its head by making the book all about the trip, rather than focusing on apprehension or excitement about school itself.
Perfect for:
- Teachers and librarians looking picture books in Spanish or by Latinx creators
- Parents looking for bilingual content and bicultural kids’ books
- Kids who want to read about experiences different than their own
- Fans of Dreamers, Our Class is a Family, and The Name Jar
Meet the Author:
Sendy Santamaria es una ilustradora de San Diego que actualmente vive en la zona de la bahía de San Francisco. Se crió a ambos lados de la frontera entre San Diego y Tijuana, y pasó mucho tiempo soñando despierta en la Línea Azul del Tranvía de San Diego. Obtuvo su licenciatura en Ilustración del California College of the Arts. Sendy disfruta de contar historias a través de diferentes medios. Sus obras celebran narrativas cotidianas y la cultura chicana. La inspiran la migración, la perseverancia, las palomas y el amor
Yenebi’s Drive to School English version.
Dreamers meets School’s First Day of School in this vibrant story that puts a whole new spin on one loving family’s morning drive to school.
Every morning, I’m up at four o’clock.
I brush my teeth, get dressed, and drag my sister Melanie to the car where Mami’s waiting for us.
¡Se nos va hacer tarde! ¡Apurarse!
For the next two hours, we’ll be in the car driving—past tamale vendors (my favorite part), through la linea (my least favorite part), and across the US border. That’s how we get to school every day. This is our normal. ¡Vamos!
In a winning, sunny voice in a bright, friendly palette, debut author-illustrator Sendy Santamaria tells the story of one girl’s commute—a commute Sendy herself made growing up as an American citizen living in Mexico. Yenebi’s Drive to School takes readers on a trip to school that many will recognize as very similar to their own.
WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS: This book is from a young, up-and-coming artist of color. By reflecting and celebrating the daily details of a child that reflects the author’s experience, it is a work that is universal and inviting—truly a mirror, a window, and a door.
TIMELY TOPIC: An accessible approach to a serious (and seriously underdocumented) part of American life for many young readers. Teachers, librarians, and parents will appreciate the way this book blends the importance of current events in an easily understandable narrative that kids will enjoy following along with.
FAMILY-CENTRIC: The journey described in this story—a loving family’s daily trip to school—is timeless and relatable, yet wonderfully specific.
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES: Like Last Stop on Market Street, this book leans into the narrator (and creator)’s very particular experience and yet makes the individuality of such an experience highly relatable, communicating to readers that even their most personal routines are part of what connects them with all humans. Young readers who take the bus to school or get driven a few blocks by their parents will see what makes them similar to kids like the author, even if the shape of their routines are different.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
