Episode 22 of Bilingual Book Buddies is here!

In this episode, we sit down with author Karol Hernández to talk about her vibrant debut picture book, I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes—a joyful celebration of community, culture, and connection.

Karol shares how her childhood in Colombia, memories of her family’s market, and a sweet moment with her son during the pandemic inspired this story. What began as a story just for him became a beautiful book that now invites children everywhere to experience the rhythm, color, and heart of the Andes.

We also talk about:

Writing from memory and cultural roots

Bringing authentic Latin American experiences to young readers

The real-life inspiration behind the iconic “chiva” bus

The power of storytelling to build connection and belonging

This is a conversation full of warmth, heritage, and the magic of stories that travel across languages and generations.

Tune in and take a ride on La Chiva with us!

#BilingualBookBuddies #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #PictureBooks #DualLanguage #KidLit #IAmLaChiva

Connect with Karol Hernandez:

Instagram: @karolitadotcom

Facebook: KarolitaDotCom

X (Twitter): ⁨@karolitadotcom⁩

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar –

Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan –

Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!.

Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López –

Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.comInstagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

In this episode of Bilingual Book Buddies, hosts Claudia, Silvia, and Alicia sit down with Stephanie Moran Reed, co-founder of MiJa Books, to talk about the power of representation in children’s literature.

Stephanie shares the story behind MiJa Books—how the search for books that reflected her daughter’s identity inspired her to create a bookstore and book fair company dedicated to multicultural and multilingual children’s books. We explore how inclusive stories help young readers see themselves in the pages of a book and why access to diverse literature matters in classrooms, libraries, and homes.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:
• The origin story of MiJa Books
• Why representation in children’s literature matters
• How multicultural book fairs connect young readers with diverse stories
• Advice for authors and educators working to bring inclusive books to children

If you love children’s books, literacy, and diverse storytelling, this episode is for you.

Subscribe to Bilingual Book Buddies forconversations with authors, educators, and literacy advocates working to bring more stories to more readers.

#BilingualBooks #ChildrensBooks #DiverseBooks #KidLit#Literacy #BookFairs #MulticulturalBooks #BilingualBookBuddies

Social media/Contact

Instagram: @smoranreed

Facebook: @stephmreed

Linkedin: @smoranreed

Email: info@mijabooks.com

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author andformer elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia SalazarAuthor

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, andillustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’slibrarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode featuresconversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell tostay updated on future episodes!

In this special celebration of Read Across America, Claudia Sloan, Silvia Lopez, and I are sharing the bilingual picture books that have shaped us—books that reflect our languages, our cultures, and the children we once were.

As bilingual authors and advocates for children’s literature, we know how powerful it is when a child opens a book and sees their world honored in two languages. In this episode, weeach bring a few titles that are especially meaningful to us and talk about why bilingual and dual-language books matter—not just during Read Across America, but all year long.

Whether you’re a teacher building a classroom library, a parent raising bilingual readers, or simply someone who loves picture books, this episode is full of heart, memories, andrecommendations you’ll want to add to your shelves.

Let us know in the comments:
What bilingual picture book is special to you?

Subscribe for more conversations celebratingchildren’s literature, language, and the stories that connect us.

#ReadAcrossAmerica #BilingualBooks #DualLanguage#PictureBooks #ChildrensLiterature #BilingualBookBuddies

Books discussed:

Claudia Sloan

¡Vamos! Let'sCross the Bridge (Pura Belpré Award winner) by Raul the Third; colors by Elaine Bay

Pase lo que pase mañana/ Whatever Comes Tomorrow by Rebecca Gardyn Levington; illustrated by Mariona Cabassa

¡Mira, abuela! Look,Grandma! Ni, Elisi! by Art Coulson; illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight; translated to Spanish by Carlos E. Calvo

Silvia Lopez

Just Shine! by SoniaSotomayor, illus. Jacqueline Alcántara

A Girl Named Rosita/UnaNiña Llamada Rosita by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illus. Leo Espinosa

Rainbow Weaver/Tejedoradel Arcoiris by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illus. Elisa Chavarri

Alicia Salazar

Maria the Matador byAnne Lambelet

The Story of Ferdinandby Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson, Translated by Pura Belpré

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – MexicanAmerican children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: AliciaSalazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican Americanartist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – CubanAmerican author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode featuresconversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell tostay updated on future episodes!