Be Bold! Be Brave! Children’s Book Review
Be Bold! Be Brave! 11 Latinas who made U.S. History, Sé Audaz! Sé Valiente!: 11 Latinas que hicieron historia en los Estados Unidos is a bilingual book that highlights 11 Latinas who excelled in various fields including medicine, science, sports, art and politics. By presenting the true biographical stories of these outstanding Latinas in rhyming verses, young readers will easily follow their journey to success. Some of the women highlighted include Antonia Novello (first female Surgeon General in the U.S.), Ellen Ochoa (first Latina to go to space), Sonia Sotomayor (first Latina Supreme Court Justice,) Rita Moreno (first Latina to win an Oscar), Selena, and Pura Belpre (first Latina to incorporate and promote bilingual literacy in Public Libraries).
Growing up, there was one person I wanted to be when I grew up, Selena Quintanilla. I wanted to be just like the Mexican, American pop star. Selena showed millions of girls just like me how beautiful it was to be a Mexican-American and how to be proud of it. From Selena, Grammy award-winning musical pop star and icon to Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina to go to space, Latinas have shown their perseverance, determination, and abilities in every discipline and field, including science, the arts, law, and politics. They have shown Latinas all around the world that with courage, bravery, and boldness, you can achieve anything and everything you set your mind to.
A great children’s book that helps you teach your children about the importance of being brave, bold, and courageous AND being proud of your Latino heritage is Be Bold! Be Brave! by Naibe Reynoso.
Be Bold! Be Brave! by Naibe Reynoso is a bilingual children’s book that is educational and inspiring. It celebrates the accomplishments of the Latino culture, particularly of Latina women. This picture book highlights 11 Latina women who excelled and persevered in various fields, including medicine, science, sports, art, and politics. Some of the women featured in ths book include Antonia Novello, the first female Surgeon General in the U.S., Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina to go to space, and Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice.
The Latina women featured in Be Bold! Be Brave! are inspirational and motivating, and they have taken part in monumental moments in history, have helped shaped the society we now live in and changed our world for the better. These Latina women have rewritten the rules for hundreds and thousands of young Latinas around the world and have taught them that no matter the obstacle, “si se puede.” This book does a beautiful job empowering Latinas and enabling us not to be underestimated; to be proud and poderosa.
When I read this book with my daughter, we immediately loved it. I love that the book is bilingual, so not only can it be read with me in English, but my daughter can read it in Spanish with her grandfather. I love that Naibe Reynoso brings multilingual families together with her books. It’s wonderful to see a grandparent, aunt, or any other loved ones being able to read to their grandbabies in their native language even if they can’t fluently speak the language of the area. There are many benefits to raising bilingual proud Latino kids, and I love that Naibe Reynoso has written such a beautiful, inspiring book to help me do that.
Where Can I Find "Be Bold! Be Brave!"
You can find Be Bold! Be Brave! by Naibe Reynoso on Amazon.
"Be Bold! Be Brave!" also comes in a Board Book Version!
Be Bold, Be Brave Chiquitos; is the Board Book version of the original book, Be Bold, Be Brave: 11 Latinas who made U.S. History; Designed for the babies 0-3 years old, this book will introduce your little ones to Latinas like Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, singer Selena, Oscar winner Rita Moreno, and many more!
Find out about this book HERE.
Coming Soon.... Fearless Trailblazers By Naibe Reynoso
Fearless Trailblazers,11 Latinos who made U.S. History,Pioneros Audaces, 11 Latinos que hicieron historia en Los Estados Unidos, is a bilingual book that highlights 11 Latinos who excelled in their professional careers and made U.S. history by accomplishing something that hadn’t been done before in their respective fields which include science, sports, the arts and politics. By presenting the true biographical stories of these outstanding Latinos in rhyming verses, young readers will easily follow their journey to success. Each persons biographical story is written in both Spanish and English to encourage and promote bilingual literacy. Some of the men highlighted include Cesar Chavez (Activist), Jose Hernandez(Astronaut), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Playwright), Jean-Michel Basquiat (Artist), Julian Castro (Politician) and more.
Find out about this book HERE.
About the Author, Naibe Reynoso
“Naibe Reynoso is a multiple-Emmy award-winning journalist with over two decades of career experience. She is also a board member for the prestigious Peabody Awards. Her work as a freelance reporter has been seen on CNN Espanol, France 24, Reelz Channel, Univision, Telemundo/KWHY, and Fox News Latino to name a few. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Sociology, and a double concentration in Psychology and Chicano Studies. This is her first children’s book. It was written to help inspire the next generation of little ones, and highlights Latina trailblazers. She is a mother of a teenage girl and a young boy and lives with her husband Jeff, a comedy writer, in her native, Los Angeles, California.”
Rapid Fire with Naibe Reynoso
Q. What was the most surprising thing you learned about creating books?
Naibe: As a new publisher, something that surprised me was that I had to approach this as a business. Creating the books is the fun part because you can express yourself without any restrictions, and you get to collaborate creatively with the illustrator. But when you own your own publishing company, 80% of the work involves paperwork, follow up, developing marketing strategies, creating a team, making sure your legal and financial paperwork is in order, etc. etc.
Q. What advice do you have for writers?
Naibe: Writing is always re-writing, and perfection will kill any book. You just need to throw all your ideas on paper, and eventually, the story takes a life of its own. I put my stories on a google doc, and I write ideas, but then I close the document, and I allow the ideas to simmer for a while. Usually, I will get inspiration in the oddest moments, like while I’m driving, working out, or in the shower. I will then go back to the google doc and re-write or jot down those creative ideas.
Q. Describe what your ideal writing space looks like?
Naibe: As a wife and mom of two children who is also juggling a part-time job and an events producing company, as well as my own publishing company, my writing space is my living room couch. I have never written a book on an actual desk, lol! My ideal writing space is pretty much anywhere I can have a solid hour or two to work on my next books.
Q. Tell us about your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Naibe: I really see my publishing company Con Todo Press growing into a company that publishes books by more authors of color, especially women and the Latinx community. I see Con Todo Press growing into a company that also offers toys, games and educational products that will be sold in major retail stores. There is definitely a gap in the market for children’s products for the Latinx community.
Q. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Naibe: I love being with my family and also exercising! My daughter is 16 and will be off to college before I know it, and my son is 7. So it is important for me to spend quality time with them. Exercise is my therapy, so I try to work out as many times as I can squeeze in.
Q. What type of books do you write?
Naibe: For now, I write bilingual children’s books that educate, inspire, and empower our community. My first book, which was released in April of 2019, is Be Bold! Be Brave! 11 Latinas who made U.S. History” is a bilingual book that highlights 11 Latinas who excelled in various fields, including medicine, science, sports, art, and politics. Some of the women highlighted include Antonia Novello (first female Surgeon General in the U.S.), Ellen Ochoa (first Latina to go to space), Sonia Sotomayor (first Latina Supreme Court Justice,) Rita Moreno (first Latina to win an Oscar), Selena, and Pura Belpre.
Q. Can you tell us about one of the most rewarding moments you have had as an author?
Naibe: Meeting some of the real-life women featured in my book has been one of the most rewarding moments I have had as an author! My book features 11 Latinas who made U.S. history, and I have had the honor to meet many of them, and some have even signed my book, including Rita Moreno, Dolores Huerta, and Hilda Solis!
Q. Are you working on anything at the present that you would like to share with your readers about?
Naibe: My next book, which releases on Cesar Chavez Day, March 31, 2020, is called “Fearless Trailblazers: 11 Latinos who made U.S. History.” In that book, I feature 11 Latinos who made an impact in our community, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Fernando Valenzuela, and Carlos Santana.
Q. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
Naibe: I want to inspire all kids, but especially Latino children. I want them to feel like they can achieve anything they want, that they can dream big and aim high. Latinos are virtually absent as characters in entertainment media, and books are the first piece of media children are exposed to. I wanted to create something so that my children could not only see themselves reflected but feel proud of their culture.
Q. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Naibe: I hear from my readers all the time, and I love it! Usually, they reach out to me via Social Media or tag my publishing company Con Todo Press. The pictures I particularly enjoy are when I see a Spanish speaking grandparent being able to read the book to their grandchild because the book is in English and Spanish. I like seeing that multiple generations can connect with a book that reflects their language and their culture.
Don't Forget To Join Naibe Reynoso on Social Media!
All in all, my family and I have really enjoyed this book and we know you will too! Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions about this review. I look forward to hearing from you!
* This book was kindly sent to me by Author, Naibe Reynoso in exchange for an honest review.
What a great idea. So many of the heroes talked about or written about are white men, and I think it’s important for kids to see people who look like them get the attention they deserve and presented in a positive light.