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Mama the Alien: Mama La Extraterrestre
Bilingual English/Spanish. In this lighthearted bilingual immigration story, a young girl sees the word alien on her mother's Resident Alien card and concludes that her mother is from another planet until the girl finds out that the word has more than one meaning.
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First published August 15, 2016
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About the author
Rene Colato Lainez
30 books31 followersRené Colato Laínez is the Salvadoran award winning author of I Am René, the Boy/ Soy René, el niño, Waiting for Papá/ Esperando a Papá, and Playing Lotería/ El juego de la lotería. His picture books have been honored by the Latino Book Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the California Collection for Elementary Readers, the Tejas Star Book Award Selection and the New Mexico Book Award. He was named “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com. René is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults.
His goal as a writer is to produce good multicultural children's literature; stories where minority children are portrayed in a positive way, where they can see themselves as heroes, and where they can dream and have hopes for the future. He wants to write authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States.
His goal as a writer is to produce good multicultural children's literature; stories where minority children are portrayed in a positive way, where they can see themselves as heroes, and where they can dream and have hopes for the future. He wants to write authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 26, 2017
Overall the book addresses the hard work and the confusing terminology of becoming a citizen for children. I loved the illustrations since they did not include stereotypes and they made the process of how to become a citizen easier to understand for children at this age. The book was a great read and could easily keep the attention of children since the majority know what an alien is and who is not, people.
Immigration is always a touchy subject for anyone especially now. But this book explains in a humorous way of how children can mistake the word Alien and automatically think of an extraterrestrial. When in reality that is not the case and how this is the path that will eventually lead to citizenship. The way the book portrays the path to citizenship is how it began years ago and the mom has had to work hard in order to get to the point she is now. She was about to go to her almost final step at becoming a citizen.
I am in love with the illustrations since they are both Latinos, their portrayal of both parents was great because they did not include stereotypes of the Latina women. I was surprised because they were both writing and drawing about a girl and woman yet they could relate to the child. I was also glad of the way the problem was displayed by the illustrations of the alien before and what alien also could mean. I think about how this also shows girls can do research to solve a problem and can find a solution as well. They might be wrong but they can continue to work and find the correct answer.
This book made me laugh and excited about the portrayal of how children's logic is, the illustrations did not add to any stereotypes, and this can encourage girls to take problems into their own hands and create a solution or find a solution.
Immigration is always a touchy subject for anyone especially now. But this book explains in a humorous way of how children can mistake the word Alien and automatically think of an extraterrestrial. When in reality that is not the case and how this is the path that will eventually lead to citizenship. The way the book portrays the path to citizenship is how it began years ago and the mom has had to work hard in order to get to the point she is now. She was about to go to her almost final step at becoming a citizen.
I am in love with the illustrations since they are both Latinos, their portrayal of both parents was great because they did not include stereotypes of the Latina women. I was surprised because they were both writing and drawing about a girl and woman yet they could relate to the child. I was also glad of the way the problem was displayed by the illustrations of the alien before and what alien also could mean. I think about how this also shows girls can do research to solve a problem and can find a solution as well. They might be wrong but they can continue to work and find the correct answer.
This book made me laugh and excited about the portrayal of how children's logic is, the illustrations did not add to any stereotypes, and this can encourage girls to take problems into their own hands and create a solution or find a solution.
November 22, 2021
This story would be a great introduction to immigration and the words that surround the topic of immigration. The main character finds her mother’s identification card that labels her as an alien resulting in the young girl having fantasy theories of being half extraterrestrial herself.
Although this book has some important elements throughout, it was heavily simplified. There are some major elements missing such as where the mother immigrated from and the process for becoming a citizen. This text seems to be occurring just after the mother has finished the citizenship process, but it is strange that the daughter seems to have no knowledge of the process. As a result, this book would be best as an introduction and then followed up with more details and informative texts.
Some information that is included within this story that is beneficial is that the dad doesn’t have the alien card because he was born in the United States, the resident alien card allowed the mother to do things such as work in another country, and how the cards change based on a person’s status toward citizenship. Again, some great information as an introduction!
Although this book has some important elements throughout, it was heavily simplified. There are some major elements missing such as where the mother immigrated from and the process for becoming a citizen. This text seems to be occurring just after the mother has finished the citizenship process, but it is strange that the daughter seems to have no knowledge of the process. As a result, this book would be best as an introduction and then followed up with more details and informative texts.
Some information that is included within this story that is beneficial is that the dad doesn’t have the alien card because he was born in the United States, the resident alien card allowed the mother to do things such as work in another country, and how the cards change based on a person’s status toward citizenship. Again, some great information as an introduction!
May 4, 2021
The concepts of immigration and citizenship are discussed in this story when a young girl discovers that her mother is an Alien. Thinking that her mother is from space, she heads to the library to research, and find out all she can about aliens, but her research raises more questions than answers.
February 20, 2018
Mama The Alien is a diverse literature piece about a young girl named Sofia who stumbles across her mother’s Alien card and believes that could only mean one thing- her mother is an alien. Curious by her recent findings Sofia goes to her local library to research aliens and finds out many things about the extraterrestrial creatures but doesn’t believe those characteristics meet those of her own mother. One night before bed, Sofia sees her mom in what seems to be her alien form but later realizes she’s only using a face mask so she can be her best for her citizenship ceremony. This is when Sofia realizes that Alien has two meanings, someone from outer space, and someone from another country. This story does a really great job at introducing children to the diversity topic of being from another country and following within the criteria of being a diverse literature piece by discussion the diverse topic of citizenship. This story does an amazing job at explaining immigration through story kids will understand and also enjoy. This story is very humorous and does a great job at keeping kids engaged through imagery. This book is not only a diverse literature due to the topic of the story but the book also throws Spanish into the text to introduce kids to even more diversity- a foreign language. I chose this book because it made a diverse topic so fun for kids and even understandable because diverse topics like immigration isn’t something that many young readers are familiar with. This piece of literature does a unique job at not only teaching kids about citizenship and introduce them to a foreign language but also focus on the celebration of family, no matter where you are from.
App: Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/profe...
This app focuses on the skill of comprehension which is really important skill that comes shortly after learning how to read on your own. This App would be best for independent readers to work on their skills at actually comprehending what they read. The app reads to the user and then the user plays games relating to the text so they have to recall what was read to them. The app is a fun game that also gives young users a safety lesson and educates them on the idea of online safety which is also very important knowledge to have.
Listserv: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 2nd Grade Literacy Listserv
http://cmslistserv.cms.k12.nc.us/cgi-...
This listserv is a literacy listserv created by teachers for teachers. It is intended to be a communication tool to talk about important literature that will be useful within the classroom of second grade readers.
App: Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/profe...
This app focuses on the skill of comprehension which is really important skill that comes shortly after learning how to read on your own. This App would be best for independent readers to work on their skills at actually comprehending what they read. The app reads to the user and then the user plays games relating to the text so they have to recall what was read to them. The app is a fun game that also gives young users a safety lesson and educates them on the idea of online safety which is also very important knowledge to have.
Listserv: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 2nd Grade Literacy Listserv
http://cmslistserv.cms.k12.nc.us/cgi-...
This listserv is a literacy listserv created by teachers for teachers. It is intended to be a communication tool to talk about important literature that will be useful within the classroom of second grade readers.
March 25, 2017
Mama the Alien is a realistic fiction about a girl named Sofia who discovered her mother's old resident alien card and jumped to conclusion that her mom might be an alien from outer space. It is also a bilingual book in Spanish and English. Sofia investigated the mystery whether it is true or not and even wondered herself if she is an alien as well. She even went to the library and did some research about aliens. It turns out that Sofia misinterpreted 'alien' for a literally meaning and remembered that some words in English had more than 1 meanings. The ending of a story was happy, because her mother was naturalizing to become a U.S. citizen. It is a humorous and lighthearted story that anyone would enjoy the book and useful for ELL students or even students who are learning Spanish. The illustrations complimented with the story because of its contrasting and colorful pictures that stands out, so kids like preschoolers and kindergartners would pay attention. There were no negative stereotypes in the book and there were a variety of cultural groups by the end of the book when they were naturalizing to become a citizen. Children who are born in the country and have parents or one of the parents immigrated from another are usually unaware of the process to be allowed to work and live in the country. What I like about the story was that the mother explained the meaning of 'Resident Alien' and how it changed later in the years to 'Permanent Resident'. When you become an immigrant, you have a goal, and one of the most important and immense goal is to become a citizen of the United States. This related back to an immigrant experience because we all have goals we want to achieve and it takes time to reach that goal, and just like Sofia's mother, she had to get the papers and documentation to work and live here and then the process to become a citizen.
November 17, 2021
Mama the Alien is about a girl named Sophie who finds her Mom’s resident alien card. Sophie goes through the story imagining her Mom as an alien from outer space. Later in the book, Sophie learns that aliens can be used to also describe someone from another country.
This book simplifies the process of becoming an American citizen. Having gone through this process with my husband, this book does not touch on the difficulties of this lengthy and complex process. I think this book can foster many discussions within families or in the classroom. I think it is important to talk about using the word alien to describe these immigrants. I find alien to be such a derogatory word to describe people from other countries. The story verifies this when the Mom explains that alien can mean someone from another planet or someone from another country. It really dehumanizes this population. I think families/teachers can use this book to introduce the topic of immigration but then expand on this topic to inform children of the realities of this process.
This book simplifies the process of becoming an American citizen. Having gone through this process with my husband, this book does not touch on the difficulties of this lengthy and complex process. I think this book can foster many discussions within families or in the classroom. I think it is important to talk about using the word alien to describe these immigrants. I find alien to be such a derogatory word to describe people from other countries. The story verifies this when the Mom explains that alien can mean someone from another planet or someone from another country. It really dehumanizes this population. I think families/teachers can use this book to introduce the topic of immigration but then expand on this topic to inform children of the realities of this process.
October 13, 2017
I had a very personal connection with "Mama the Alien" as only just a week ago me and my husband sent off all my documentation to apply for a change in my citizenship, also known as getting a green card and become a permanent resident. I liked how the book symbolized an innocent childs mind, seeing the word alien and jumping to extraterrestrial conclusions. My favorite part however was when Sofia assumed and defined herself as 'half an alien' as her Dad was American, just like my Husband who is also an American Citizen. It clutched at my heart slightly as it made me think about my future children and what they will grow up thinking about me and their dad being from such different countries. Overall, a great book but my love for it may have been intensified due to my personal situation and extreme similarity.
November 2, 2018
Even though more numbers of books about immigration and crossing-border have been published recently, few children's picture books have stories of legality and residential status of immigrants. This book is written by a native El Salvadorian and a cuban illustrator. It is good to have additional Latinx author and illustrator. I appreciate that the sotry doesn't have any specific hyper usages of cultural icons that often typically dominate Latinx stories than children's perspectives. The story has the author'ss autobiographical sides.
It is informative to learn a short history of "Green Card"/ Permanent Resident Card through the author's note/ Nota del Autor. Good thing is none of us are Aliens!
It is informative to learn a short history of "Green Card"/ Permanent Resident Card through the author's note/ Nota del Autor. Good thing is none of us are Aliens!
November 1, 2021
For ELL learners these books are important because they have another language attached to them where they can read along with the class. In this story, the young girl finds her mother’s card about being an alien and no was many questions about it and thinks that she is from another country and does not belong in America with them. The strength of this book is it takes a look at the hard idea of immigration through a picture book and forms the child’s perspective. The illustrations are well done and create an image to go along with the story. As a teacher, this book is especially good because it has a piece where it can be read in Spanish or English and it offers some good insight on immigration in America.
November 25, 2018
This is published with both English and Spanish.
The daughter finds her mom's old Alien card when she knocks over her purse. The young girl doesn't understand the term and thinks of aliens from outer space and goes crazy with her imaginings. Seeing her mom in a mud pack with cucumbers over her eyes doesn't help either. She finally has a discussion with her mom, which clarifies what it meant and that she is now a permanent resident and becomes a US citizen. The pictures are really cute.
The daughter finds her mom's old Alien card when she knocks over her purse. The young girl doesn't understand the term and thinks of aliens from outer space and goes crazy with her imaginings. Seeing her mom in a mud pack with cucumbers over her eyes doesn't help either. She finally has a discussion with her mom, which clarifies what it meant and that she is now a permanent resident and becomes a US citizen. The pictures are really cute.
June 26, 2017
This was cute. I read it in Spanish to practice for bilingual storytime this Friday, but it's a cute story in both languages.
September 20, 2017
This is totally the kind of connections a kid would make. Super cute!
September 25, 2018
Educacional y gracioso
March 19, 2019
Cute story.
October 31, 2018
This story talks about the main character Sofia and how she discovers her mother's alien card (green card). She starts wondering if her mother is actually an alien from another planet which tells you a lot about children's imagination! She goes on to compare her mother to an actual alien and see if she has alien-like tendencies. She sees that her mom is preparing to become a US citizen and Sophia thinks it is a way for her to fit in and feel more human. Then she soon discovers that the US refers to aliens as people who are not from this country. I really enjoyed the book but it makes me wonder why this country would refer to non-native people as "aliens". Unfortunately, I think there is a lot to be said about that. The use of the word on official immigration paperwork is very upsetting. There are many other words we could use but we still decide to refer to persons of foreign countries as "aliens". But on the other hand, it does give children a great introduction to immigration and the process that many families go through. The book's plot was very interesting children love the suspense of wondering if the mom is really a space alien. This book is definitely described as a fantasy with a bit of historical fiction, in the back it goes on to talk about the history of the green card and what legislation made it change its name and the look the card as well.
This story can be connected to Nieto's readings with speaking many languages because this country was built on people coming overseas to live a better life and people who do that now are seen as criminals. People who speak any other language before English are still seen as less intelligent, yet when native English speakers want to learn a different language they are seen as smart people who want to be cultured or well-rounded.
This story can be connected to Nieto's readings with speaking many languages because this country was built on people coming overseas to live a better life and people who do that now are seen as criminals. People who speak any other language before English are still seen as less intelligent, yet when native English speakers want to learn a different language they are seen as smart people who want to be cultured or well-rounded.
August 24, 2016
This is an incredibly fun tale of massive confusion. With our country being a very diverse country, the English language can be very confusing. In this book, the word "alien" is explored in a humorous way. I could easily see how a young child would think her Mom is an "alien". You know, the skinny, big-eyed, gray kind. She has the card and at one point the face to prove it. Funny!
This book certainly made me laugh and I know it will make kids laugh too. The book though has a couple of different elements to it though. First, it gives parents or teachers the opportunity to talk about English words and their opposites and meanings.
Secondly, this book is in Spanish and English so, it can helps families whose first language is not English read together and learn English together. That is some winners right there!
The book is targeted for 4-8 year olds but this is definatly a book for the child who is beginning to read or even a good reader. However, the illustrations are large and very brightly colored. The whole book give the reader a cheery feeling.
I simply love the feel of this book overall. It is a positive story, funny, and has a great outcome.
Get yourself a copy today as I highly recommend it. 5 stars!
Disclosure: I recieved a copy of this book for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon
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Mi opinión en español:
Este es un cuento muy divertido de confusión masiva. Con nuestro país siendo un país muy diverso, el idioma Inglés puede ser muy confuso. En este libro, la palabra "extranjero" se explora de una manera humorística. Yo podría ver como un niño pequeño podría pensar que su mamá es un "extranjero". Ya sabes, el, de ojos grandes, de color gris tipo flaco. Ella tiene la tarjeta y en un momento dado la cara para probarlo. ¡Gracioso! Este libro sin duda me hizo reír y sé que hará reír a los niños también. El libro, aunque tiene un par de elementos diferentes a él sin embargo. En primer lugar, se da a los padres o los profesores la oportunidad de hablar acerca de las palabras en inglés y sus opuestos y significados. En segundo lugar, este libro está en español e Inglés así, puede ayuda a las familias cuyo primer idioma no es Inglés leer juntos y aprender Inglés juntos. Es decir algunos ganadores allí mismo! El libro está dirigido para 4-8 años de edad, pero esto es sin duda un libro para el niño que está aprendiendo a leer o incluso un buen lector. Sin embargo, las ilustraciones son grandes y muy brillantes colores. Todo el libro dar al lector una sensación alegre. Simplemente me encanta el ambiente de este libro en general. Es una historia positiva, divertida, y tiene un gran resultado. Consíguete una copia hoy como lo recomiendo. ¡5 estrellas! Divulgación: He recibido una copia de este libro para mi opinión abierta y honesta. Las opiniones expresadas aquí son 100% mi propia y pueden ser diferentes a la suya. ~ MM alias Naila Luna
This book certainly made me laugh and I know it will make kids laugh too. The book though has a couple of different elements to it though. First, it gives parents or teachers the opportunity to talk about English words and their opposites and meanings.
Secondly, this book is in Spanish and English so, it can helps families whose first language is not English read together and learn English together. That is some winners right there!
The book is targeted for 4-8 year olds but this is definatly a book for the child who is beginning to read or even a good reader. However, the illustrations are large and very brightly colored. The whole book give the reader a cheery feeling.
I simply love the feel of this book overall. It is a positive story, funny, and has a great outcome.
Get yourself a copy today as I highly recommend it. 5 stars!
Disclosure: I recieved a copy of this book for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon
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Mi opinión en español:
Este es un cuento muy divertido de confusión masiva. Con nuestro país siendo un país muy diverso, el idioma Inglés puede ser muy confuso. En este libro, la palabra "extranjero" se explora de una manera humorística. Yo podría ver como un niño pequeño podría pensar que su mamá es un "extranjero". Ya sabes, el, de ojos grandes, de color gris tipo flaco. Ella tiene la tarjeta y en un momento dado la cara para probarlo. ¡Gracioso! Este libro sin duda me hizo reír y sé que hará reír a los niños también. El libro, aunque tiene un par de elementos diferentes a él sin embargo. En primer lugar, se da a los padres o los profesores la oportunidad de hablar acerca de las palabras en inglés y sus opuestos y significados. En segundo lugar, este libro está en español e Inglés así, puede ayuda a las familias cuyo primer idioma no es Inglés leer juntos y aprender Inglés juntos. Es decir algunos ganadores allí mismo! El libro está dirigido para 4-8 años de edad, pero esto es sin duda un libro para el niño que está aprendiendo a leer o incluso un buen lector. Sin embargo, las ilustraciones son grandes y muy brillantes colores. Todo el libro dar al lector una sensación alegre. Simplemente me encanta el ambiente de este libro en general. Es una historia positiva, divertida, y tiene un gran resultado. Consíguete una copia hoy como lo recomiendo. ¡5 estrellas! Divulgación: He recibido una copia de este libro para mi opinión abierta y honesta. Las opiniones expresadas aquí son 100% mi propia y pueden ser diferentes a la suya. ~ MM alias Naila Luna
October 19, 2016
Mama the Alien is a fiction book that introduces the topic of immigration in a simple, lighthearted way for kids. The story starts with Sofia knocking over her mom's purse to find mamas alien card. Sofia is quick to believe that her mom is an alien because she has no knowledge of what it means to be an alien here in the United States. She then proceeds on doing research about aliens, due to her confusion on the term. Her father then explains to her that there is two meaning for the word alien. he also explains to her the hard work it took mama to go from being alien to a resident. This book is a great humorous book for elementary school to get introduced into some of the immigration topics. The pictures, words, and easy behind it will have the kids engaged, while also learning information that maybe a bit more challenging to teach kids at a younger age. Also, the author is Hispanic so he has personal experiences with immigration making the story more reliable. Overall, this is a great read for younger kids and it will be relatable to kids who have personal experiences with immigration making them comfortable knowing it is something that can be discussed and in the story have a solution.
July 23, 2016
Don't be put off by this picture's book title about aliens and possible extraterrestrials. It's actually a clever way to introduce the ideas of immigration and citizenship to young readers in an amusing way while reminding them that words often have more than one meaning. In this particular bilingual story, Sofia sees her mother's alien card when it falls out of her purse, and she wonders if she might be part alien too since her father doesn't have such a card. Her library research leads her to the conclusion that her mother must be hiding her alien parts or nature, a conclusion that seems supported when she overhears a conversation between her parents and sees what she thinks is her mother's alien form in the dark. As it turns out, she's completely off base, and her mother is actually preparing for her citizenship ceremony. The text and acrylic and collage illustrations made me smile while offering an easy to digest story about an assumption many children might make about the word "alien." The author provides additional information about Resident Alien cards, often called green cards. This book offers an excellent but amusing introduction to the topic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2021
Sofia knocks over her mama's purse while playing basketball and out falls a card that says that Mama is an alien! Could Mama be from outer space? Sofia goes to the library to find out more about aliens - like what language do they speak and what do they look like. And why does Mama look like a regular mother. The book is bilingual, told entirely in English and Spanish - great for those learning English or Spanish. When I picked up the book, I was expecting something entirely different, a book full of extraterrestrial beings. Creative story about immigration and citizenship that also throws in a bit of humor along the way.
November 24, 2016
Is Mama an alien? Her ID card says she is.
This is a wonderful, Bi-lingual story to discuss immigration and citizenship with younger children. Yet, the story still promotes the child's imagination by exploring the different type of 'alien' mom is. Younger children will love that the illustrations.
Parents and teachers can discuss where children, their parents, or their ancestors come from. The books allows for exploration of what it takes to become a United States citizen.
This is a wonderful, Bi-lingual story to discuss immigration and citizenship with younger children. Yet, the story still promotes the child's imagination by exploring the different type of 'alien' mom is. Younger children will love that the illustrations.
Parents and teachers can discuss where children, their parents, or their ancestors come from. The books allows for exploration of what it takes to become a United States citizen.
December 9, 2016
A young girl accidentally knocks her mother's purse on the floor. An ID card falls out that says ALEIN on the top. Was her mother from outer space?? The girl imagines all sorts of scenarios with her mom going to and from other planets. In the end, she realizes that the word "alien" has more than one meaning.
Good for preschool or older kid storytimes.
Good for preschool or older kid storytimes.
November 26, 2016
This is a wonderful book about citizenship, alien's, and more! For children who may not understand that not everyone in the country is a US citizen this book may help them understand. Very well done, I believe.
January 5, 2017
A Spanish and English book where a little girl finds her mothers alien card and spends the day worrying she's an alien like her mom. But can alien mean something else besides from outer space. Cute way to talk about immigration. Preschool or one on one for length.
September 11, 2016
When Sofia discovers her mother's Alien card from US, she worries about it ...until!
December 2, 2016
This is a story that needed to be told. I liked the (outer space) alien tie in.
January 1, 2020
An interesting topic for kids with parents from two countries and how sometimes English words can be tricky.
Sept 24, 2019
Sept 24, 2019
April 22, 2017
This book was written and illustrated with amazing accuracy, which is probably why it received the award for Latinxs in Kid Lit. Per the reading in my Masters class, diverse books should have accurate pictures and information as well as tell a story from an individual's perspective. This book portrayed those aspects incredibly. This stories reading level is age 4-7, but could be used to introduce diversity at any age level. The story begins with a young Hispanic girl bouncing a ball around her kitchen, when she accidently knocks over her mothers purse. This small incident causes Sophia's life to be turned upside down when an Alien card tumbles out. She is convinced that he mother is from outer space and that she too must be part alien. This hilarious, sweet story introduces readers to the struggles families go through to become American citizens. This story is especially powerful because it is told through the eyes of a child.
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June 14, 2017Professional Support of Diverse Literature Paper resource
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