Special Finds: Frijolitos Books

I was going through some boxes in my storage unit this weekend and found copies of the original Fijolitos books. I'm not really sure if this company still exists. I cannot find their books on Amazon or anywhere else online. Anyway, I thought that a MommyMaestra reader might want these little treasures, so I'm selling them as a set.

Filled with culturally relevant illustrations and themes, both books present the text in both English and Spanish. Picadillo the Armadillo/Picadillo el Armadillo is the first book in the series and follows the mischievous antics of Picadillo when he is found and taken in by an excited young girl named Lilia. He is accompanied by Albondiga, the Mariachi dog, who at first tries to keep Picadillo out of trouble, but finally winds up joining in on all the naughty fun. The ending is warm and sweet and teaches a good life lesson about not judging a book by its cover. 

But my favorite book is the second one in the series, Tuguita Tere: A Home for My Books/Un Hogar Para Mis Libros. The book centers around (surprise!) Tuguita Tere as she celebrates her 5th birthday and eagerly applies for her very own library card. Tuguita is an imaginative bibliophile, always dreaming up adventures based on the books that she reads. I really like how the book references historical figures (ie, Frida and Sor Juana Inés to name a few) – this would be a great way to introduce your children to other historical children’s books, too. The back of Tuguita’s book even includes a history of the piñata (Did you know it was originally an Italian game? I didn’t!) and a nice little section with tips about reading to your child. Both books even include lesson plans for teachers and parents in the back. 

So if you’d like to pick up your very own copy of one (or both!) of these fun books, click here.