Check It Out:

The Newport Beach Public Library’s children department contains thousands of books to explore. You can discover all corners of the globe without even leaving your chair — all with the help of great books! This month began with the special celebration of Cinco de Mayo, so it is the perfect chance to explore Latino culture at your library.

The library has many children’s books filled with exciting information on Latino culture to share with your friends and family. We have books on countries, culinary cookbooks of Latino delicacies, stories of Mexican fairy tales and folklore, and even fully illustrated books on arts and crafts based on many cultures. Here are a few of the Latino inspired materials that include books, DVDs, music CDs, and even works written all in the Spanish language:

“Niño’s Mask” by Jeanette Winter: This picture book is a very cute story about a young boy who wants to be taken seriously by the grown-ups. Told that he is too young to wear a mask at the fiesta, Niño makes his own mask and surprises his family and the whole village. A bonus to this book is that it includes a glossary of Spanish words and an author’s note.

“Dora helps Diego!” by Laura Driscoll: This is an easy reader book that is intended for children beginning to read. It uses the popular technique of pictures replacing specific words to ease in their identification. The book is part of the world-famous Dora series in which she and Boots help Diego search for Baby Jaguar.

“Cooking the Mexican Way: Expanded to Include New Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes” by Rosa Coronado: A cookbook that introduces the fundamentals of Mexican cooking for aspiring children cooks. There are many delicious recipes that include special ingredients for such dishes as enchiladas, nachos, tacos and guacamole.

“Go, Diego, Go! Underwater Mystery”: A DVD that showcases Dora’s cousin Diego and his friends who help Lucy find out what kind of fish she is and learns about dolphins.

“Paper Crafts for Day of the Dead” by Randal McGee: This book explains the significance of the special celebration and how to make crafts out of paper. Dia de los Muertos is Spanish for “Day of the Dead.” It may sound like the title of a scary movie but actually is a fun and happy holiday in Mexico and many countries throughout the Americas.

“Dora the Explorer. Dance Fiesta!” by Nick Records: This CD is bursting with upbeat songs that can turn a regular day into a fun-filled fiesta.

Have fun exploring the shelves of books about a variety of world cultures at the Newport Beach Public Library at any of its locations; Central, Mariners, Balboa and Corona Del Mar. Check out these and many other wonderful books on the Latino traditions.

Make sure to join us for our special program, Dora and Diego Fiesta from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, at the Central Library. We will celebrate with a fiesta filled with crafts and games based on the popular series. Dora and Diego Fiesta is a free and fun program for children from preschool through second-grade in that requires online registration via www.newportkids.org.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of the branches, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.