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While we were in the process of adopting Beauty, I found several books on Guatemala available for purchase online and ordered them accordingly. One evening while we poured over the texts, trying to learn all we could about Guatemala and the rich culture within, it was as though a lightbulb went off: with all the hunting we had done for both books and information, we had put forth little thought about finding books for the kids. The next morning, during Bear’s nap, I set to work to find a repertoire of kid-friendly books about Guatemala—both to peak Bear’s excitement about the new addition to our family and to serve as a keepsake for Beauty, one in which she would always have information about her birth country at her fingertips.
I’ll be honest here: there wasn’t a great selection of baby and toddler friendly board books specifically designed for the under-four crowd. However, I found a few sources, two of which have become our almost-everyday staples. The first is a book by Marcie Aboff and illustrated by Zachary Trover; it’s called Guatemala ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Guatemala. It’s a bit advanced for the kids at two and three years of age, but here’s what seals the deal for keeping them interested: the bright colors, short passages, and focus on the alphabet. I’m able to read each page aloud without the interest level waning and it does a great job doing exactly what the title suggests: mentioning many noteworthy points of interest while using the toddler/kid approved pattern of the ABCs. Beauty is just now really starting to work on learning letters and this book is a great way to help her learn the alphabet while exploring her birth country.
My second favorite book to date is Guatemala: A Question and Answer Book written by Mary Englar. It’s definitely for the older-kid circuit, but the questions are simple and the answers are all concise. It’s a good resource to keep on hand for the “short answers” to questions about Guatemalan government, housing, holidays celebrated, and the like. I’ll be honest: the kids aren’t really into this one just yet, but I can’t tell you how many adults in our family have perused this book in passing to get a bit of a bearing on some basic information! I have a strong feeling this will be an invaluable resource as Beauty gets a bit older and starts asking questions about Guatemala.
As I hunt down more books, I’ll be sure to post my findings here; likewise, if you know of an awesome book about Guatemala that’s child-friendly, I’d love to hear about it (you can comment here or email me at courtneyo@adoptionblogs.com). These two are my current “backbone” books for our kid-friendly set of Guatemalan references while Beauty is still a toddler. As every parent does, I hope to foster a love of reading in my children. Additionally, I hope Beauty will maintain a deep interest in Guatemala by having information at her disposal should she have any questions at any time about her birth country.
I’m a big fan of the book Abuela’s Weave by Omar Castaneda. Beautifully illustrated, it’s a wonderful depiction of life, love & family in a rural Guatemalan village. I first saw it at a friend’s house who adopted her daughter from Guatemala & it was well-loved in their home.
Thanks so much for your list–I’m looking forward to seeing it grow!