A year ago we got a copy of the book My Little Donkey / Mi Burrito and it suddenly became son’s favorite book for the holidays season. What I really enjoy about this book is that when I’m reading it and singing it to my son, it brings back memories of my childhood and all the Christmas carols that I used to sing with my cousins back in Mexico.

What’s this book about?

This holiday book is based on one of the most popular Christmas carols in Spanish: “Mi Burrito Sabanero“ (The Little Donkey from the Savannah).

The book opens like an accordion, and you can expand the whole book in a line. The book also has two sides, so you can explore every page in Spanish in one side and English in the other side.  It’s a beautiful, great quality book, to add to your children’s book collection! The pages are also full of interactive lift-the-flap details that make the adventure of reading it more stimulating.

Get a copy of My Little Donkey here. Happy holidays!

The post Kids Books We Love: My Little Donkey / Mi Burrito first appeared on Live Colorful.

Halloween is getting closer and closer and I wanted to share with you these adorable mini party favor boxes created by Una Fiesta Bonita that you can download, print, assemble and fill with your favorite candy this Halloween. ‘

They are extra special since my son decided that he wanted to dress up like Frankie this year! We were so lucky to find part of the costume, the t-shirt and a Frankenstein head, in a thrift store, and then I sew some pants to complete the costume. Now we are planning on printing two of these cute mini boxes, one for him and one for mommy, to make out Trick-Or-Treating even more fun!

These are perfect to give a party favor or to take with the kids when Trick-Or-Treating this year.

Download the printable here: Halloween Frankenstein Party Boxes | Mini Cajas de Fiesta Halloween

Happy Halloween!

The post Free Printable: Halloween Frankenstein Party Favor Boxes first appeared on Live Colorful.

We are so happy to share with you about Laurie Hernandez’s picture book, She’s Got This!. HarperCollins Children’s Books sent us a copy a few days ago. The story is so heartwarming and inspirational, and my son and I have been reading it almost every morning.

She’s Got This tells the story of Zoe, a little girl who dreams of flying—and becoming a gymnast. She enrolled in a school, and almost instantly realized that gymnastics was something she loved doing. She was so good at it too, and enjoyed practicing so much. When she falls for the first time off the balance beam, she was ashamed, scared and didn’t want to try again. Her parents and siblings shared with her great anecdotes about their own falls and how they stood up again, that inspired her to go back to practice the next day and see every fall as a way to learn something and grow.

The message behind the story is as simple and beautiful as this, You always have to get back up and try again, and you always have to believe in yourself. A great book for kids age 4 – 8 years old, to start a conversation about resilience and chasing dreams no matter the struggles you can find.

Laurie Hernandez’s career was affected in 2014, when her progress was stalled due to multiple injuries. She returned stronger than ever by becoming the 2015 US junior national champion!

We have been seeing and reading more about Laurie lately. It make us proud to connect in almost everything she stands for as a Latina and athlete, so we wanted to share this book with you too because we believe it’s a great one to add to your children’s book collection.

Find the book in Amazon here. Find Laurie Hernandez in Instagram.

The post Kids Books We Love: She’s Got This first appeared on Live Colorful.

Last September, Gary Golio released his new nonfiction Picture Book, Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World.

We got a copy of the book a few weeks ago from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and my son was really curious to read it. First I shared with him some of his music on our way to school so he could relate it with the story later. That afternoon we jumped into reading the book and discussed what being passionate about something means, and how he could pursue any goals and adventures he can imagine, leaving all obstacles aside.

I really like that Gary wrote a book that focuses a lot on Carlo’s childhood and his family back in Mexico. I felt like those first pages really made my son connect with the protagonist, and imagine the situations comparing them with his own life, our family members who still live in Mexico and whom we visit often, and his own cultural experiences.

The book also explores the struggle for families when they blend with a new culture. He found his own voice, but he never left behind the sounds of Mexico that give him a start and pushed to create something new and fresh.

The vibrant illustrations were created by Rudy Gutierrez, the internationally celebrated artist who created the iconic Carlos Santana Shaman CD cover. They transported us to magical world, and the images go round and move, just like music. It’s like you could hear while looking at the book, Carlos Santana’s career, from his early exposure to mariachi to his successful fusion of rock, blues, jazz, and Latin influences.

Gary Golio is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling children’s book author and visual artist, whose books include Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix, When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan, and Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World.

Find Carlos Santana’s book here. Find more about Gary’s work here and here.

The post Kids Books We Love: Carlos Santana. Sound of the Heart, Song of the World first appeared on Live Colorful.

I hope you guys had an amazing summer. We visited family in Mexico and discovered the beautiful manteconchas , enjoyed many sunny days in the pool, made a few trips to the San Francisco bay and got ready for the first day of Jaxon’s school, which was a bit melancholic but exciting for both of us.

To celebrate the beginning of this new school year, I want to share with you the work of Wendy from Una Fiesta Bonita who I met through Instagram a few weeks ago. She makes the cutest printables to decorate awesome, unique and personalized parties! As soon as I saw her work on her Instagram account I knew that I have to share more about her store and the products that she offers. She makes everything for a themed party, from invitations, to garlands, party favor boxes, cupcake toppers and more! 

Wendy is from Guatemala, but currently lives in Mexico with her husband and her 6 year old daughter. She is a huge fan of everything homemade and handmade, especially birthday parties. 

She created these super cute Frida Kahlo placemats. If you love the theme, don’t forget to check out the complete Frida Kahlo’s party kit here.

FREE FRIDA KAHLO PLACEMAT PRINTABLE:

Download the PDF printable here or click in image below.

Tip. Print in a heavyweight paper such a cardstock.

Find more of her work in her website, Instagram and Pinterest.

Having a birthday party soon? What is your kid’s favorite theme?

The post Frida Kahlo Placemat Printable first appeared on Live Colorful.