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Paola Santos

@pgsantosb

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🇻🇪🇨🇦 Children's author
HOW TO EAT A MANGO/CÓMO SE COME UN MANGO. AVAILABLE NOW!
A HOUSE IN MY BARRIO. Fall 2026
Rep’d by @jenrofe.

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A beautifully written book by my friend @pgsantosb , illustrated by @oliviasua . We recently had a great time celebrating the book launch of this heartwarming book for young and old to enjoy reading.

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Fun Read Friday is back! 🥭📚

This week’s pick is , How to Eat a Mango by Paola Santos. This is a warm story celebrating family, culture, memories, and the joy connected to food.

It’s a beautiful read aloud for celebrating family traditions, exploring the five senses, and encouraging students to make personal connections. 💕

What food brings back special memories for you?

#FunReadFriday #PictureBookRecommendation #ReadAloud #HispanicHeritageMonth #ChildrensLiterature

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🇻🇪 Today is October 8th and there’s still a week left of Latine Heritage Month! Today is also my tour stop in the #LHMBookstatour and I’d love to tell you a bit about why reading books about Venezuela from Venezuelan authors is important to me.

⏳ First I want to take you back in time to 2020-2021; the unprecendented times. In the midst of all that was going on, one glimmer for me was discovering so many diverse, inclusive, and interesting stories with Latine main characters by new-to-me authors including:
- Zoraida Cordova
- Anna-Marie McLemore
- Claribel A. Ortega
- Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Isabel Allende
- Aiden Thomas
- Valerie Valdes
- Nina Moreno
- Mark Oshiro
- Yamile Saied Mendez

☹️ Feeling motivated by all these amazing reads, I wanted to find fiction set in Venezuela. I bought a book with a few decent reviews but should’ve looked at the synopsis and author a lot closer. After the first few pages, I was ready to DNF it. The Venezuelan MMC felt compelled to tell the white woman he’s just rescued that she’s more beautiful than any Venezuelan woman he’s ever seen, including anyone from his own family and several Miss Universe contestants. Normally, I can power through a bad story just so I can be an informed hater, but the layers of racism and disrespect excused as creative license left me feeling angry and repulsed. This read like someone’s self-insert Indiana Jones fanfiction and completely ignored the fact that Venezuela is a real place with real people, indigenous people, spiritual practices, and natural resources that are constantly being exploited.

When we talk about “who gets to write ___ stories” this is why it’s a problem. Despite the obvious lack of research, curiosity, and creativity, this book still managed to get published and the ratings online are generally favorable towards it. I requested a refund on my purchase and set out to find books written by Venezuelan authors.

🇻🇪 I began where most people will tell you to begin, with two of the most well-read and well-known classics.

• IPHIGENIA by Teresa de La Parra (1924): Written in first-person POV, Iphigenia is a young woman trapped in her grandmother’s house in Caracas, Venezuela. In a

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💥LOCAL AUTHOR ALERT💥 join us tomorrow for author Paola Santos between 12-4pm! 🥭

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A fabulous afternoon @audreysbooks to celebrate the launch of A House in My Barrio by @pgsantosb. Congratulations on a beautiful book, Paola! Teachers, this would be a great addition to a lesson on community and cooperation! #picturebooks #readalouds #teachers #community

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Mamá Elena always knows just what to do when someone needs help. Whether it’s by cooking a delicious meal or simply by lending an ear, she keeps her community together. And because of her warmth, her home is young Manuel’s favorite.

But when Mamá Elena suffers a fall that leaves her bedridden, the barrio changes overnight. Missing Mamá Elena and her house, Manuel is determined to help lift her spirits. In a selfless act of organizing, he gathers his neighborhood so they can give back all the love and support Mamá Elena has shown them.

This picture book includes gentle introductions to the Spanish language with a strong message about caring for others.

Check out the link in bio for our chat with the author, @pgsantosb! 🌸

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It's FRIYAY, and you know what that means...

It's time to announce the TAKE 5 winner:

MARITERE R. BELLAS!!! @latinaboomermom

You've won a copy of A HOUSE IN MY BARRIO or a 30-min. AMA session with Paola! Paola will reach out to you to arrange your prize. @pgsantosb

Thanks to everyone for participating. You can sign up to receive my TAKE 5 Blog in your email on my website, BeckyWalkerBooks.com.

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A House in My Barrio

In this touching picture book about the importance of kindness and lending a hand, a young boy gathers his community to take care of a loved one, perfect for fans of The Last Stop on Market Street.

Mamá Elena always knows just what to do when someone needs help. Whether it’s by cooking a delicious meal or simply by lending an ear, she keeps her community together. And because of her warmth, her home is young Manuel’s favorite.

But when Mamá Elena suffers a fall that leaves her bedridden, the barrio changes overnight. Missing Mamá Elena and her house, Manuel is determined to help lift her spirits. In a selfless act of organizing, he gathers his neighborhood so they can give back all the love and support Mamá Elena has shown them.

This picture book includes gentle introductions to the Spanish language with a strong message about caring for others.

#books #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #picturebook #bookstagram

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Recent releases & noteworthy new arrivals 📚

All of these books are available in our online store as well! 🔗

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Bienvenida to Las Musas blog, Paola Santos. We are eager to hear about your new project, A House In My Barrio.
https://www.lasmusasbooks.com/blog/las-musas-book-birthday-a-house-in-my-barrio

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It’s a banner week for Latine releases! Get a head start on your Latinx Heritage Month reading and shop the Bookshop.org link in our bio.

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Happy Book Birthday to A HOUSE IN MY BARRIO by @pgsantosb Paula Santos and illustrated by Olivia Sua.

Here are some excerpts from my TAKE 5 interview with Paola. Check out the full interview at BeckyWalkerBooks.com and join my website to see all the latest releases, interviews, and giveaways!

Comment "Barrio" for the link to the interview. Leave a comment for a bonus entry in the giveaway -- a signed copy of the book or a 30 min. AMA. Comment that you'd love to win to enter to win!

#picturebook #newrelease #TAKE5 #barrio #kidlit

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