Maceo Cabrera Estevez started Booklandia in 2016 at her kitchen table in Oakland, CA. As a homeschooling mami and Barefoot Books Ambassador, she spent years searching for quality Spanish and Bilingual children’s books. During this time she had met many parents, grandparents, teachers and administrators on the same journey.
Ok, I will start writing in 1st person because I want to be real with you.
I wanted to make things easier for families who were frustrated with their late night searches on Amazon or their visits to a bookstore with only a small collection of books translated to Spanish. I also wanted to make it easier for myself. I had spent a few years as aBarefoot Books Ambassador after learning about this small women-owned and women-run company fromMommy Maestra. I fell in love with their books and was thrilled that they have beautifully illustrated Spanish and Bilingual books in their collection. But I needed more. More #ownvoices, more diverse stories, more authentic text, and less time lugging around boxes and boxes of books to book fairs and events. I found the subscription box model, contactedCinco Books (who continue to be such a great support to Booklandia) and spent countless hours learning how to run a subscription box business.
Since our launch in 2016 we have sent our boxes of
Booklandia Board Books (0-3)
Booklandia Spanish Picture Books (preschoolers and emerging readers)
Booklandia Bilingual Picture Books (preschoolers and emerging readers)
Booklandia Spanish Chapter Books (independent readers 8-14)
To families and classrooms in
Alabama, Alaska Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico,Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC and Wyoming
Watch this TedTalk below by Grace Lin on the importance of having a bookshelf that are windows and mirrors to the world
I still work at my kitchen table but we have grown so much these past two years. All children should have their own personal libraries and whether they get books through our subscription box, as gifts or through our donation program. It is my goal to be a resource for Bilingual families and those raising Spanish learners. I hope to have the resources to start our own publishing house and make Spanish and Bilingual books by Afro-Latinx writers and illustrators and stories about Latinx Muslim families.
Thanks for reading. Please follow us on social media and share Booklandia with all book lovers. ¡Gracias!