Book Review: Merry Navidad

Ada, Alma Flor (Author), F. Isabel Campoy (Author) and Viví Escrivá (Illustator). Rayo.  64 p. ISBN: 978-06-058434-4 $16.99

We are more than labels: Caucasian, Hispanic. I’m American. My husband is Cuban. Yet, even those descriptions are superficial. Born in New England, I grew up on a rocky terrain of changing seasons, while my husband came into this world under a tropical sun on an island subjected to fickle Caribbean winds. Yet our homelands tell only of our childhood. Who we are goes back even farther. My ancestors sailed to the new world on the Mayflower, while his family tree extends back into Moorish Spain.

As adults, sights and sounds often trigger memories from our childhood, a childhood that does not stand isolated in time. It is a childhood influenced by the memories of those before us. It’s little wonder that language and holiday traditions are so fused with emotion.

My husband and I view the unique cultural make up of our family as a blessing, but it’s also a challenge, for we are emotionally invested in our language and in our holiday traditions. Just as our daughter is growing up bilingual, she is also growing up bi-cultural. When Audra Boltion of HarperCollins sent me a copy of Merry Navidad, I was thrilled.

Merry Navidad, is a bilingual holiday book for children ages 5-10. This book based on Spanish and Latin American Christmas carols is co-written by award winning, internationally published authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, with English adaptations by Rosalma Zubizarreta.

Merry Navidad is not a musical songbook. The villancicos (as they are called in Spain), read like poetry and are adorned by the beautiful color illustrations of Viví Escrivá. Six of the songs include musical notations in the back of the book, but not full arrangements.

Obviously, the focus of this book is not musical interpretation but acknowledging and synthesizing the complexity of the eclectic nationalities that fall under the generalized North American term “Hispanic.” An introduction and nine brief holiday descriptions create a rich cultural context for nineteen poetic verses.

Merry Navidad makes a thoughtful gift for families steeped in the merging Spanish/English speaking world, promoting cultural awareness and understanding in a linguistically inclusive format. Whether your child speaks Spanish, English, or learning both simultaneously, this book validates the importance of linguistic heritage and honors the emotional tie that we have both to language and holiday traditions.