El compleaños de mi hermana Dulce / My Sister Dulce’s Birthday (Salina’s de Alba Award)

Six-year-old Dulce loves sweets, which is fitting since her name means "sweet." She especially relishes the candy in birthday piñatas, and she and her sister can’t wait for her own party "with candles and cake, / balloons, music and a piñata." Kids will eagerly follow Dulce and her sweet tooth in search of the perfect birthday treats. At the store, there are brightly colored piñatas shaped like stars, cacti, donkeys and even a guitar! How to decide?!? And what does she want to fill its belly with? There are "mountains of delicious candies" to choose from! There are marzapanes, tamarindo and sweet toffee! Crunchy wafers with teeth made of seeds and sugar-crusted sweet potato slices! Claudia Navarro’s colorful illustrations joyfully depict two girls’ excitement at a traditional Mexican birthday celebration where hitting the piñata leads to a cascade of sweet treasures. Children –and some adults too– will enjoy identifying their favorite candies, and this bilingual picture book for children ages 4-8 is sure to inspire kids’ plans for their own birthday celebrations!