LITTLE GIANTS: 10 HISPANIC WOMEN WHO MADE HISTORY
Little Giants: 10 Hispanic Women Who Made History is a short collection of biographies about Hispanic women and the impact they made in the world. Some of the women featured in this book are iconic figures such as ballet dancer Alicia Alonso; others are less known heroines such as indigenous leader Dolores Cacuango, founder of the first bilingual school in Ecuador. Beautiful illustrations accompany the text to bring these women to life and inspire the young generation of readers to be leaders tomorrow.
This book is a great resource to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by reading about the history and accomplishments of these courageous women and their contributions in Latin America.
PRAISE
“This is what every Hispanic household needs. Finally a powerful book that we can share with our next generation ( and even adults).” – Amazon reviewer
Little Giants highlights the accomplishments of ten Hispanic women who contributed to and helped shape the history of Latin America. These women may not be world famous, but without them Latin America wouldn’t be the free and rich continent it is today.
Since the explosion of
technology and the Internet, children seem to live immersed in a world of music
videos, video games, and TV, but do they know about the people who came before
them, who have impacted their lives so much more than they even realize? With
this book, I would like to highlight a little bit of our Hispanic history to
inspire young readers who will be the leaders of tomorrow.
Why women? you may
well ask. Throughout history, women have been undermined, oppressed, and
underrepresented. At different points in history, women have not been able to
go out in public, to drive cars, to study, to work, to vote, or even to take
credit for their accomplishments. Finally, we can now do all those things and
more. Don’t get me wrong. There are still more things we need to achieve, but I
am positive we will get there.
Little Giants aims to motivate and inspire our children today to
accomplish great things tomorrow based on the example of role models from the
past and present. They need to learn about and remember the contributions of
women in history to be encouraged and inspired to lead the future.
Kids in schools and at
home need a book like this one to encourage them to continue to study, to start
businesses, to run for president, to keep dreaming, and to go on living
meaningful and successful lives.
When the idea for this
book came to me, the first thing I did was search Amazon to look for children’s
books about the contributions of women in Latin America’s history, but I
couldn’t find what I was looking for: an anthology for children that
highlighted and honored the accomplishments of Hispanic women in history and society.
Well, now there is one.
Welcome to the blog! The first page is perhaps one of the
most important pages in the whole book. It’s what draws the reader into the
story. Why did you choose to begin your book this way?
I chose to add an introduction to the book because
this book was the first children’s book about the lives of Hispanic women. I
wanted to explain the significance of the book and the gap it would fill in the
children’s books market.
In the course of writing your book, how many times would
you say that first page changed and for what reasons?
It changed a lot! First, because I was saying too
much; then later, I was saying too little! I had to go back and forward to find
the right amount of words that would express the message I wanted to convey.
Was there ever a time after the book was published that you
wished you had changed something on the first page?
Yes! I had
forgotten to mention something that, at the time, I thought was very important,
and I was really debating about
editing it to add it.
What advice can you give to aspiring authors to stress how
important the first page is?
The first
page is what catches the eye (regardless of what the first page is about). If
it is a fiction book, that first page is what keeps me hooked to continue
reading the book. It is important not to rush it. And go back to it even after
you think the book is done.
Raynelda Calderon grew up in the Dominican Republic, on a healthy diet of romance novels, comic strips, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books, and the strict watch of her mother. She has a doctorate in leadership in higher education and works as a public librarian.
As a librarian, working with children inspires her to write about the accomplishments of Hispanics in history. She hopes to inspire young readers to follow their passions.
Raynelda lives in New York with an untamed Shih Tzu, Toby, and a much attached Chihuahua, Maya. She spends her free time thinking (and drafting) about books to write, or painting, crocheting, or crying over abused dogs.
For More Information
· Visit Raynelda Calderon's website.
· Connect with Raynelda on Instagram and Facebook.
· Pick up your copy of Little Giants: 10 Hispanic Women Who Made History at Amazon.
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