René Colato Laínez

Colato Laínez at the 2016 Texas Book Festival.

René Colato Laínez (born in San Salvador, El Salvador on May 23, 1970) is a Hispanic educator and author of several bilingual/multicultural award winning children's books. His books reflect the Hispanic immigrant experience from a child’s point of view, covering topics such as cultural identity issues, the difficulties of learning a second language, and missing a loved one. Most of his books are based in his own experiences. [1]

Early life

As a child, Colato Laínez was inspired to write by his maternal granduncle, Jorge Buenaventura Lainez, a famous writer in El Salvador.[2] Colato Laínez left his country at the age of 14 during the Salvadoran Civil War, settling in Los Angeles, California where he entered high school and became an active contributor to the school’s Spanish-language newspaper.[2]

Career

In 1993, Colato Laínez received a B.A. and teaching credentials from California State University, Northridge and became an elementary school teacher in Sun Valley, California.[3] While in college, he wrote short stories. In 2005, he earned an M.F.A. from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.[3] He started submitting his stories to publishers in 2001 and his first book, Waiting for Papá/Esperando a papá got published in 2004.[4]

Awards

2005 Junior Library Guild Selection, I Am René, the Boy

2005 Best Children’s Books List, Críticas Magazine, Playing Lotería

2005 Southwest Books of the Year, Playing Lotería

2005 Junior Library Guild Selection, Playing Lotería

2006 International Latino Book Award, Best Bilingual Picture Book, I Am René, the Boy

2006 Special Recognition, Paterson Prize, I Am René, the Boy

2006 First Book Marketplace Special Edition, Playing Lotería

2006 International Latino Book Award, Best Cover Illustrations, Playing Lotería

2007-2008 Tejas Star Book Award Finalist, Playing Lotería

2007 California Readers “California Collection”, Playing Lotería

2008 New Mexico Book Award, Best Children’s Book, Playing Lotería

2008-2009 Tejas Star Book Award Finalist, I Am René, the Boy

2010 Americas Book Award Commended Title, René Has Two Last Names

2010 International Latino Book Award, Honorable Mention, René Has Two Last Names

2010 Skipping Stones Honor Award, René Has Two Last Names

2010-2011 Tejas Star Book Award Finalist, René Has Two Last Names

2011 International Latino Book Award, Best Bilingual Children's Book, From North to South

2011 Americas Book Award Commended Title, From North to South

2011 California Book Award Finalist, From North to South

2011-2012 Tejas Star Book Award Finalist, From North to South

2011 Junior Library Guild Selection, From North to South

2011 International Reading Association Teacher's Choice, The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez

2011 International Latino Book Award, Best Children's Book, English, Second Place, The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez

2011 International Latino Book Award, Best Children's Book, English, Second Place, My Shoes and I

2014-2015 Tejas Star Book Award Finalist, Señor Pancho Had a Rancho

2014 Best Children’s Books, Bank Street College of Education, Señor Pancho Had a Rancho

2014 International Latino Book Award, Honorable Mention, Señor Pancho Had a Rancho

2015 International Latino Book Award, First Place, ¡Juguemos al Fútbol y al Football!

Bibliography

Waiting for Papá/Esperando a papá, illustrated by Anthony Accardo, Arte Público Press (Houston, TX) 2004.

This book follows a child whose father cannot come to the United States because of immigration issues. Colato Laínez wrote it to honor similar situations that many of his students had experienced, and he says that when he does public readings of the book, "there is always more than one person crying."[5]

I Am René, the Boy/Soy René, el niño illustrated by Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, Arte Público (Houston, TX) 2005.

This book follows a boy named René as he adjusts to having a classmate named Renee and learns more about his own name.[6]

Playing Lotería/El juego de la lotería illustrated by Jill Arena, Luna Rising (Flagstaff, AZ) 2005.

Playing Lotería is about the relationship of a boy and his grandmother, who teach each other English and Spanish. Teachers have incorporated Playing Lotería into curricula to introduce a culturally-specific fund of knowledge.[7]

René Has Two Last Names/René tiene dos apellidos illustrated by Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, Piñata Books (Houston, TX) 2009.

From North to South/Del norte al sur illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Children's Book Press (San Francisco, CA) 2010.

The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez illustrated by Tom Lintern, Tricycle Press (Berkeley, CA) 2010.

My Shoes and I illustrated by Fabricio Vanden Broeck, Boyds Mills Press (Honesdale, PA) 2010.

Señor Pancho Had a Rancho illustrated by Elwood Smith, Holiday House (New York, NY) 2013.

¡Juguemos al Fútbol y al Football! Illustrated by Lancman Ink, Alfaguara (Doral, FL) 2013.

Vamonos/Let’s go! Illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Holiday House, (New York, NY) 2015.

Mamá the alien/Mamá la extraterrestre illustrated by Laura Lacámara, Children's Book Press (San Francisco, CA) 2016.

A story about a Latina girl who suspects that her mother is an extraterrestrial.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "PaperTigers BlogPaperTigers' Global Voices: René Colato Laínez (USA/El Salvador) ~ Part 2". www.papertigers.org. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  2. 1 2 "Rene Colato Lainez". Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  3. 1 2 René Colato Laínez (1970-). (2011). In L. Kumar (Ed.), Something About the Author (Vol. 226, pp. 49-51). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com
  4. ↑ Pereira, Aline. "Interview with author and illustrator, René Colato Laínez". papertigers.org. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ Olivera, Monica (16 June 2016). "Latino Children's Books that Celebrate Dads". NBC News. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "I am René, the boy / Yo soy René, el niño". Kirkus reviews. 15 April 2005. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Souto-Manning, Mariana (November 2016). "Honoring and Building on the Rich Literacy Practices of Young Bilingual and Multilingual Learners". The Reading Teacher. 70 (3): 263–271. doi:10.1002/trtr.1518.
  8. ↑ "Mamá the alien/Mamá la extraterrestre". Kirkus reviews. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
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