Mamá the Alien / Mamá La Extraterrestre

Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Américas Book Award, Commended Title, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

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.

When Mamá's purse falls on the floor, Sofia gets a peek at Mamá's old Resident Alien card and comes to the conclusion that Mamá might be an alien from outer space. Sofia heads to the library to learn more about aliens. Some are small and some are tall. Some have four fingers on each hand and some have large, round eyes. Their skin can be gray or blue or green. But Mamá looks like a human mother! Could she really be an alien?

Sofia is still puzzling out this mystery when she sees an alien-looking Mamá one night. It turns out Mamá is doing a beauty treatment so she will look her best for her citizenship ceremony. That's when Sofia realizes that in English, an alien can be someone from another planet, and it can also be a person from another country. Just like Mamá!

Filled with imagination and humor, this title is a sweet and timely celebration of family, no matter where that family comes from. Even if it's outer space!

ISBN-13: 9780892392988

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Children's Book Press (CA)

Publication Date: 08-15-2016

Pages: 32

Product Dimensions: 10.90h x 9.00w x 0.30d

Age Range: 5 - 8 Years

René Colato Laínez was born in El Salvador. He is an award-winning author who holds an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Críticas has called René's characters "immigrant heroes." He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Laura Lacámara is both an author and illustrator of children's books. She is a popular presenter at schools, book festivals, libraries, and conferences, and is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. A native of Cuba, she now lives in Venice, California, with her husband and their daughter.