Episode 18: Celebrating Culture, Stories & KidLit with Jolene Gutiérrez

In this episode of Bilingual Book Buddies, we sit down with award-winning children’s author and teacher-librarian JoleneGutiérrez to talk about inclusive storytelling, family collaboration, and creating books that help children feel seen and understood.

Jolene shares insights from her powerful and joyful booksincluding Mamiachi and Me, The Ofrenda That We Built, Too Much! An Overwhelming Day, and Unbreakable,and discusses how her work with neurodivergent learners and her own family inspires her stories.

We explore:
Writing culturally rich children’s books
Representing sensory and emotional experiences
Celebrating family traditions like mariachi and Día de los Muertos.

Whether you're an educator, librarian, parent, or fellow children's author, this conversation is full of heart, inspiration, and practical wisdom.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share to support bilingualand inclusive literacy!

#BilingualBookBuddies #JoleneGutierrez #ChildrensBooks#InclusiveLiterature #KidLit #PictureBooks #BilingualBooks #DiverseBooks#TeacherLibrarian #AuthorsOfYouTube #KidsBooksPodcast #LiteracyMatters#StorytellingForKids

Social media

Instagram: @writerjolene — https://www.instagram.com/writerjolene/

Twitter/X: @writerjolene — https://twitter.com/writerjolene

Facebook: Author Jolene Gutiérrez page — https://www.facebook.com/writerjolene

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author andformer elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, andillustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’slibrarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode featuresconversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribeand hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!