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Del Alma Publications, LLC is making waves with its bilingual book publishing, and its efforts are being rewarded with one of its books recognized as one of the top children’s books in the country.
According to a company spokesperson, their book “Todos al Rodeo! A Vaquero Alphabet Book” was named one of the top children’s books for 2020 by Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club. One of the main Latino book clubs in the country, it recognizes the best pieces of literature throughout the country that reflect themes important to the Latino community.
“We are very happy and honored that they chose our book as part of their 2020 Latino books of the year,” Del Alma Publications, LLC Vice President of Sales & Marketing Maricia Rodriguez said.
The recognition is important for a small publishing company that needs more people to know about their content and to attract authors that want to work with them to publish their books.
The author of the book Dr. Maria Alma González Pérez also expressed joy for her book being recognized. She said being recognized ensures people are reading it, finding value in it and instigating others to read the book.
“Any time your book is selected for a reading list, it’s a wonderful honor because the reality is people do guide themselves by recommended reading lists,” Pérez said. “There is value in that.”
Perez hopes this helps turn out more readership for the audience they are trying to target with their children’s books. They hope all of their books become staples for children learning whether they are of Hispanic origin or simply want to learn a second language.
Despite the book’s success, there is still no data on how many of Pérez’s books have been sold.
“The book was released in September 2020, and books are still being sold through many different venues,” Rodriguez said.
Along with children’s books, there has also been a recent uptick of children’s shows representing Hispanic and Latino culture. Rodriguez said they have not been contacted yet by any studios to adapt the book, but that option remains.
Pérez’s book has also been well received in reviews, including one from literary magazine “Erosion.”
“The images and text are engaging and dynamic throughout, and adults and children will find it enjoyable to read and discuss together,” the review states.
The review also said it is an easy read with several big words in Spanish and English that children may struggle to read but can use as a foundation for even higher learning.
Although the books have generated some success, Rodriguez hopes that they become a staple in Texas for learning as she hopes that one day every school will have access to these. That is their main goal for the upcoming year.
Rodriguez encourages all parents of Latino or Hispanic background, or anyone trying to teach their children Spanish, to find these books either by purchasing them directly or asking their school district to acquire them.
“We ask parents, educators and librarians to consider using our books to help children develop biliteracy and cultural awareness,” Rodriguez said.
Pérez’s recognition is not the only one that the Zapata book publishing company has received. Pérez has also earned recognition for other books published with the company.
“Our books have been recognized by the International Latino Book Awards, the Texas Institute of Letters, the Campoy-Ada National Prize for Children’s and Young People’s Literature in the Spanish Language, among others,” Rodriguez said.
Some of Pérez’s books that have been recognized aside from “Todos al Rodeo! A Vaquero Alphabet Book” include “¡Todos a Celebrar! A Hispanic Customs & Traditions Alphabet Book” and “An Angel from Above/Un ángel desde arriba” that received the 2019 Skipping Stones Honor Book and 2018 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, respectively.
For more information about Pérez, the books she has written and speeches she has given, visit dralmagperez.com.
jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
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