The Mexiglish Girl / La Chica Mexiglish

by Natalia Simons

Bilingual children's book in English and Spanish

Ideal for bilingual children who feel they can identify with dual heritage. Also for helping monolingual children to better understand different cultures and the importance of kindness.


Gloria is a little girl with a great talent, she can speak both Spanish and English! On her visit to Mexico she learns all about the local food, culture and traditions but struggles to remember some Spanish words when put on the spot. Her wise grandma shares some advice that helps Gloria find her confidence when she's invited to a piñata party! The book will both help readers with their Spanish and to learn about Mexican traditions.


For ages 4 - 8
Beautifully illustrated throughout.
Perfect for bilingual and expat families, teachers and children learning English or Spanish as a second language.
Teaches children that being different is okay.

48 pages, Hardcover

Published September 2, 2021

About the author

Natalia grew up bilingual and spent every summer in a quaint village in Spain with her grandparents and many cousins. She absolutely loves languages and different cultures and studied BA Hons in Modern Foreign Languages at The University of Portsmouth. She's travelled extensively around Latin America and Spain and teaches Spanish after schools clubs. By merging the two experiences, she decided to write bilingual books for children. She's the founder of the independent children's publisher Bilingo Books.

Reviews

[James Donald]

Gloria has much talent as she can speak Spanish and English. During the summertime, she visits Mexico and stays with her grandfather. One summer she has to overcome fears of not knowing how to hit a pinata which caused her embarrassment in front of her friends (Simons, N., & Fraschetta, A. (2021). The mexiglish girl = La Chica Mexiglish. Bilingo Books).

In my classroom, I would utilize this book for preschool to fifth grade per Amazon. The pictorial representations are really good. This is a good book for higher grade levels.

I would make this book part of my library to introduce the idea of being proud of your heritage even if you left the country for the United States. It can be used in a classroom setting to show other cultures and learn some of the things that they represent.

[Selena Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Mexiglish Girl" is about a bilingual girl named Gloria who is figuring out her blend of Mexican and American cultures. Readers follow along as Gloria visits her family in Mexico and learns about her culture, traditions, and foods. She sometimes gets teased when she does not remember a word in Spanish. Themes in this book are identity and multiculturalism. I would keep this book in my library because I feel like a lot of students who are bilingual could relate to it in some way. I would read this book to a second grade class.

[Alejandra Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for ages five to nine. The themes include code switching and tradition. I picked this book because it is a great book to show off Mexican traditions and let students feel comfortable in speaking two languages. I want this book in my class because it will help my dual language students feel more included with the class and let others learn as well.

[Laura Mendoza Moscicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

Love this story! Reminds me of my cousin, Arianna, she is both Mexican and English. She too lives in England. I will read this to my kindergarten class. Good intro to my rich Mexican heritage. Thanks for writing this beautiful story.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to teach children about being proud of their culture. My kids loved all the colorful illustrations!

[Ros Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, sweet book. The illustrations are amazing and the story reflects perfectly how dual heritage people feel. I love it.