Dream with the latinitas Sueña con las latinitas

Menéndez brings many of the impressive women from Latinitas (2021) to a younger audience with this beautiful board book. Saturated Old Holland watercolors create vivid contrasts between backgrounds of goldenrod, black, kelly green, and terracotta and each page's stylized image of a famous Latina, stencil-like in its clean lines and geometric patterns. Twenty-two such portraits fill the pages, which seek to introduce little ones to "the Latinitas / whose big dreams / paved the way / for your little feet." The variety of people featured is splendid, with a few well-chosen words in English and Spanish employed to capture each individual's talents. Engineer Antonia Navarro, activist Rigoberta Menchú Tum, author Isabel Allende, dancer Alicia Alonso, and gymnast Laurie Hernandez are a few of the notable figures readers will encounter, all of whom deserve their place in this gorgeous homage.