N is for Navidad

by Susan Middleton Elya, Merry Banks, Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

Bienvenidos! to a celebration of Christmas, Latino-style! From the ngel (angel) hung above the door to the zapatos (shoes) filled with grass for the wise men s camels, each letter in this festive alphabet introduces children to a Spanish word, and each colorful page takes them through another joyous aspect of the 22 days of the traditional holiday. Vibrant art from acclaimed illustrator Joe Cepeda beautifully complements the lively, rhythmic text to bring the reader a wealth of heritage and a season of light! Feliz Navidad!

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Spanish Literature, Childrens, Cultural, Latinx

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2007

About the author

Susan Middleton Elya is the author of many books that cleverly incorporate Spanish vocabulary into lively verse. She is originally from Iowa and now lives in Northern California.

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I’ve been on a mission to read more diversely with the Littles. I recently began looking for holiday reads that were more diverse and found a bunch of recommendations and N is For Navidad was on the list. Luckily my library had it and I was able to request it and read it.

One of my favorite things about the book is how they incorporated the Spanish alphabet and traditions. My son was able to recognize some of the food and traditions mentioned in the book.

One of the disappointing things was that some of the pages were ripped so we missed a good two pages of the story.

I really enjoyed the illustrations and loved how each letter was a different color. It really brought the story together.
This review was originally posted on As Told By Tina

[Chanda Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book for a Family Culture Night, where I hosted a table for the library, featuring different diverse books through culture, race, family, practices and beliefs, and so much more, even including neurodivergence, mixed identities, refugees, immigrants, and more. I love that this book includes Latino representation, Spanish vocabulary, and even context for the holidays and celebration. The alphabet in this book is the Spanish alphabet, which I also found interesting, and the defined words are also Latino within English context. I think this is a great resource for language integration and inclusion, and even more perfect for the holidays and cultural awareness and representation too.

[Camille Rickis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This alphabet book describes Spanish words using English adjectives and descriptive illustrations, which forces the reader to make inferences rather than be given the translation right away. The words are all Christmas themed, and it should be noted with great appreciation that not only are the letters used only in the Spanish alphabet included in the alphabet, but also that many of the words are related to Christmas traditions not widely celebrated in the United States. The illustrations, which are all focused around hispanic culture, also do an exceptional job to help the reader make inferences with their detail and color.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Christmas alphabet book follows the Spanish alphabet as it explains many Mexican Christmas traditions. It proceeds chronologically through the Christmas season. Bright and bold oil paintings support the festive tone. Both Spanish and English are used in the rhyming text. Although a few of the rhymes are awkward or forced, overall this would be a valuable addition to a library with Spanish language and Spanish immersion patrons. A glossary includes pronunciation guidance and explanations of many Mexican Christmas traditions. Unfortunately, the book is out of print and good used copies are extremely expensive.

[Sierra Fresh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an alphabet book that goes through the Spanish alphabet. It is in both Spanish and English, and each new letter has something to do with Christmas. The illustrations are oil and acrylic and are beautifully detailed. The book rhymes and shows a beautiful blend of the Spanish and English languages (though it is heavier in english). This story would be great to show different cultures or to use in a bilingual classroom.

[Bradi Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how this book captured the Spanish culture during Christmas time. The book shows different traditions and even includes the Spanish alphabet. This is a great book to teach kids of any cultural background about how Spanish culture celebrates Christmas. I loved the illustrations in the book they pair well with the text and keep the reader engaged. This was an enjoyable read.

[Charlene Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful pictures, full of color and action. A trip through holiday traditions, learning new words along the way. The back matter helps start discussions and research to learning more.

[Anthony]

There book chosen for day 14 of my nephews' literary Advent calendar. Cute, relatable journey through a Latino Christmas 😌.

[Gofita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story that introduces a bit of Spanish and culture for the Christmas season.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet a-b-c book filled with Mexican traditions for Navidad (Christmas).

[Osamantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

N Is for Navidad is a Spanish Alphabet book about Christmas in Mexico. It uses the Spanish alphabet introducing a new aspect of Christmastime with each letter. The pictures are colorful and bright and in most cases it is easy to figure out what each of the Spanish words that represent the letter are based on the picture. For those instances where we don't know what a word means, the author provides a glossary in the back of the book with their English translations. This is a good introduction into how different (and similar) a holiday is commonly celebrated in the United States to how it is celebrated in Mexico.

The book does show a variety of skin tones, including one woman who appears to be of African descent. However, these variations in skin tone are extremely hard to notice unless you are paying attention and don't give credit to the wide variety of ethnic backgrounds of many Latinos.

Neither of the authors are native Spanish speakers or of Latino decent which is concerning, so more research into the authenticity of the events (told mainly through pictures) would need to be done. There is also some concern about the lack of representation of non-Christian representation of holidays.

[Elizabeth]

I really liked the device of using the progression through the holiday season to move the narrative along -- except that the words were varyingly inferrable from context, and I didn't realize until I got to the end that there was a glossary (with pronunciations!) at the end. I imagined reading this book to a kid, and I definitely didn't have the vocabulary familiarity (and barely had the cultural tradition familiarity) to have answered the questions I imagined a kid asking.

All this led to my feeling like it was very much aimed at Latinoa families/kids and not at Anglos -- which is fine, but the fact that it *had* the glossary etc. at the end indicated that it was aware that Anglos were at least part of its potential readership, so while I think it's really valuable for people in privileged/dominant positions to experience being not the primary audience, from a reader experience perspective I wish the Authors' Note and Glossary/Pronunciation Guide had been at the beginning.

I really appreciated the explanatory Authors' Note at the end ("Many families of Latino heritage begin celebrating the Christmas season on December 16. They continue through Christmas Day to January 6, when the three kings arrived to welcome baby Jesus. The customs featured in this book are primarily Mexican.") but again, would have needed to read that beforehand in order to feel comfortable reading this book to/with a child.

Also, I was disappointed/jarred after the whole book had used Spanish letters and words for the alphabet portion to get W=wise men (with the Spanish "tres reyes" as an addendum). (I also found "O is for ojos. Just look at the food! [...]" a weak and kinda creepy rhyme. And, I understand it rhymes with "delicious," but "Tía has cooked them, so guess who does dishes!" made me go "ugh" 'cause, um, I assume the answer is "someone(s) other than Tía?" but like, what a weird question.)

I enjoyed the illustrations -- very lively.

Lastly, reading the author bios, bummed that I'm unclear how Mexican any of them actually are -- "Susan Middleton Eya is not a native speaker of Spanish, but she enjoyed learning it so much that she's been writing books in Spanish and English for the past 13 years. [...] Merry Banks grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and her childhood experiences in the Southwest were the inspiration for this book." & Joe Cepeda's online bio says, "Born and raised in East Los Angeles." Like, they all *could* be of Latinx descent, but I'm having such difficulty discerning whether they're writing from within or without the tradition.

[Alyssa Fortna · Rating 4 out of 5]

N is for Navidad is a Christmas story that utilizes Latino traditions, as well as the Spanish language. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by a different Spanish word, or tradition, associated with the Christmas holiday. The main focus of the story is the family being together and celebrating the holiday. It gives great insight into the Latino culture and the traditions that are celebrated during the holiday season. I would use this book with children between the ages of 6 and 9. This would be a great story to use before Christmas time to celebrate diversity.

[Genny Flett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ABC book uses the Christmas holiday to teach Spanish words and provide background on the Christmas traditions and rituals seen in Hispanic homes. Each page introduces a new Spanish word and each page takes the reader through the 22 days of the traditional holiday. The story focuses on the family coming together and celebrating the holiday and discusses the cultural traditions and how the family celebrates. (I loved this book!)

Good for rhyming and holiday traditions; ABC book

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seems like a good idea that didn't work out very well.

Since it was obviously an introduction of some Spanish words to non-speakers of Spanish, it could easily have been improved in the pronunciation and translation were give on the same page as the Spanish word. Even if that had been done, the rhyming scheme itself was quite weak and could have been improved by a non-leaden ear.

The illustrations were vibrant, but not especially wonderful.

[Nicoll Blomquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Latino Christmas story is one that young readers will enjoy. Authentic language is used throughout the book to describe the trimmings of Christmas. This alphabet story is anything but traditional.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

New twist on an ABC book - this book mixes Spanish, English, and holiday traditions into a colorful story. I love Joe Cepeda illustrations.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bienvenidos - a celebration of Christmas Latino Style.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great picture book for very young Spanish students! I'll definitely use it again!

[Jadai Mcgee]

N is for Navidad is another holiday book that will help students learn about the different cultures of others. This story is also a great ABC book that introduces words from the Spanish culture.

[Emelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little book, and I love that it goes until Three Kings Day.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Christmas book that teaches not only Spanish vocabulary but also Spanish Christmas customs.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific illustrations and clever rhymes mixing English with Spanish vocabulary.