Title of Book: Little María / Pequena María
Title of Review Article: María and her Living.
Bibliographic Entry: Mack. L.M. 2019. Little María / Pequeña María
Written by Luz M. Mack, a Dominican Children's Book Author. Who enjoys telling stories that highlight her beautiful cultural upbringing.
Luz says: "My work stems from the love of helping children and families feel seen and understood by the magic of stories. I believe when you see yourself, you know that you belong anywhere and everywhere! It all started with me helping my daughter see herself, leading me to my purpose."
Animated Version of this book: https://youtu.be/-gfFYfDEQ2w
Pequeña María/ Little María is reminiscent of the author's childhood in the Dominican Republic. María shares with readers all the fun things she likes to do! María shares all the exciting activities, from playing with baby chicks to admiring the beautiful scenery and spending quality time with her family. She proudly shows what makes her world unique, and this exciting book has young readers thinking of their favorite things too! It is full of beautiful images and is easy to read in English and Spanish. This revised edition of Little María motivates creativity and fine motor skills with coloring pages and paper dolls.
Luz feels that there are too few books, media, and content speak to Hispanic communities. While the Latino student population is rising, they don't see themselves in their curriculum materials and other classroom resources. She wanted to do something for her daughters to see themselves! The author has made several author visits to read this book in classes from Kindergarten to 2nd graders promoting immersive literacy time as well as making it fun and relatable for kids.