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Featured children's bilingual book: Rene Has Two Last Names/Rene tiene does apellidos
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On the first day in his new school, René's teacher gives everyone a nametag with their first and last names. Though René's last name, like many Salvadorans', has two parts, "Colato Laínez," his tag reads only "René Colato." Maybe the teacher ran out of ink? Adding "Laínez" on his own, René is teased about having an unusually "long dinosaur name" but uses the opportunity of a family-tree assignment to instruct everyone, including the teacher, about why both names together represent his full Italian and Spanish heritage. René's full name proudly reminds him that he is a product of both his father and mother's family histories, both rich in talent and hard work. Drawing from his personal immigrant experience, the author tells his story in a bilingual narration, his sincere, earnest voice augmented by Graullera Ramírez's softly colored cartoon-style watercolor scenes of family and classmates. The significance of this Hispanic tradition respecting both sides of a child's parentage is well explained in this easily understood example of cultural differences. (Picture book. 5-8)- Kirkus
About the author:
René Colato Laínez, the author of three bilingual picture books for children, was born in El Salvador, but moved to the United States in 1985.
He was inspired to be a writer by his great uncle, Jorge Buenaventrua Laínez, at whose house he first learned the word “escritor.” He began writing as a child, putting in to words stories about his toys and school. As he grew older, civil war broke out in El Salvador and his family was forced to leave the country. On their difficult road to the United States, Colato Laínez wrote about his dreams, desires, and adventures. Even in high school, he showed promise as a writer; many of his articles and poems were published in the Spanish-language school paper, La voz estudiantil.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from California State University at Northridge in 1993. There, students performed two of his stories, Black Sheep Among White Lambs and Blood Tears. He has more recently taken writing courses at the Institute of Children’s Literature, Highlights Foundation, and California State University at Northridge, UCLA, as well as with renowned bilingual children’s literature authors, Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and has been a bilingual elementary teacher for many years. His students call him “the teacher full of stories.”
His three children’s books deal with issues relevant to immigrant children. They are: Waiting for Papá / Waiting for Papá (Piñata Books, 2004); I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño (Piñata Books, 2005, which received Special Recognition in the 2006 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People and the International Latino Book Award for Best Bilingual Book; and Playing Lotería / Jugando lotería (Luna Rising, 2005), a finalist in the 2007-2008 Tejas Star Book Award, was named to Críticas magazine’s “Best Children’s Books” of 2005 and received the 2008 New Mexico Book Award for Best Children’s Book. His most recent bilingual picture book, René Has Two Last Names / René tiene do apellidos, cleverly tells the story of a young boy embracing his Hispanic culture as he helps his classmates understand its importance.
René is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults and a bilingual elementary teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. René is a children’s literature columnist for LA BLOGA, the blog for Latino literature; LOS BLOGUITOS, the blog for children who are learning to speak Spanish; and Revista Iguana, a Spanish-language children’s magazine. He was named one of the “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com. His Web site is www.renecolatolainez.com.
He currently resides in Arleta, California.
For more information, visit Arte Publico Press.
--Mayra Calvani loves writing for children and adults. Check out her picture books at Mayra's Secret Bookcase.
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