Estoy muy alegre de lo que espero sea el primero de muchos tour virtuales reconociendo y exaltando las obras literarias de nuestros autores latinos!

Hoy les quiero hablar sobre el premiado autor salvadoreño René Colato Laínez.  René ha escrito Soy René, el niño, Esperando a Papá, El juego de la lotería, René tiene dos apellidos, The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez y My Shoes and I. Sus libros infantiles han sido honrado con el premio del Libro Latino Internacional, el  Premio Paterson para libros para niños, la Colección de California para Lectores de Escuelas Primarias, el Premio Estrella de Tejas y el Premio del Libro de Nuevo México.

En este video René Colato Laínez explica el por que escribe libros multiculturales:

Honrando el muticulturismo continuemos este dialogo en Ingles. In  René Tiene Dos Apellidos / René Has Two Last Names young René is from El Salvador, and he doesn’t understand why his name has to be different in the United States. When he writes Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, René and Amelia. When he writes Laínez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second last name, René feels incomplete, “like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese or a hot dog without a wiener.”

His new classmates giggle when René tells them his name. “That’s a long dinosaur name,” one says. “Your name is longer than an anaconda,” another laughs. But René doesn’t want to lose the part of him that comes from his mother’s family. So when the students are given a project to create a family tree, René is determined to explain the importance of using both of his last names. On the day of his presentation, René explains that he is as hard working as Abuelo René, who is a farmer, and as creative as his Abuela Amelia, who is a potter.. He can tell stories like his Abuelo Julio and enjoys music like his Abuela Angela.

This charming bilingual picture book for children ages 4 – 8 combines the winning team of author René Colato Laínez and illustrator Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, and follows their award-winning collaboration, I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño. With whimsical illustrations and entertaining text, this sequel is sure to please fans and gain many new ones while explaining an important Hispanic cultural tradition.

Q & A with Mr. Colato Laínez:

• The cover of your book Rene Has Two Last Names is awesome; where did you find the illustrator Fabiola Graullera Ramirez? Bet she had stories to tell you about her two names.

Thanks, I worked with Fabiola on my first René’s book I Am René, the Boy. René Has Two Last Names is the second book of the series. My publisher Piñata Books, www.latinoteca.com, contacted Fabiola to illustrate the first book. She is a great artist and I am blessed to work with her. Fabiola lives in Mexico City and she uses her two last names everyday.

• How important are the illustrations to your story?

Writers create images in their minds while they are writing their manuscripts. In is a wonderful experience to see how an illustrator had transferred your words into beautiful colorful illustrations. Illustrations are so important in picture books. Children need to see the story while they read it. For me it was awesome to see my two last names incorporated into the illustrations.

• Lucky for you children aren’t near as dense as most adults. What do you hope they’ll come away with after reading your book? What about those ones with only one last name? Is there hope for them?

I want the reader to feel proud of both sides of his/her families. We have received many gifts, stories and traditions from them and we are who we are thanks the love and effort of our familia, family. Children in the USA and in other parts of the world may use only one last name at school and legal papers but in their hearts will always be the other half of the family, that one that does not appear in the school’s id or in the doctor’s file but it is always present at family reunions and holidays. To kids with one and two last names, I say, “love and enjoy your families.”

• Thanks for the interview, René. What’s life got in store for you next?

I have two new children’s books coming out next year. The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez (Tricycle Press) introduces the Latino tooth hero, El Ratón Pérez. How would the Tooth Fairy react? Read the book and find out. My other title is My Shoes and I (Boyds Mills Press). This is my true story crossing three countries to arrive to the United States.

René Colato Laínez Book Tour

Jan 13     Marytza    Tartamuda

Jan 14     Lisann       LaLicenciada

Jan 15     Jen           Devourer of Books

Jan 18     Lynn         Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile

Jan 19     Mayra       Latino Book Examiner

Jan 20     Shelia       One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books

Jan 21     Ana Rod    The Sol Within

Jan 22     Carrie       Bilingual in the Boonies

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