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The Interpreter
CCBC Review:
“Some kids had one job. To be a kid. Cecilia worked two.” Bilingual (Latine) Cecilia’s second—and more demanding—job is to interpret for her parents, who only speak Spanish. She does so at the doctor’s office, the DMV, the auto repair shop, the hairdresser’s, restaurants, and more. Her second job is running her ragged, and it often keeps her from the thing she’d rather be doing: simply playing with her friends. Finally, at a parent-teacher conference, her teacher asks Cecilia how she is doing. “Cecilia couldn’t take it anymore. She was done being a professional.” Her feelings come pouring out, cascading down the page. “I want to help,” she concludes. “Just not all the time.” After that, her older brother comes home from college to help for a weekend, and her aunt comes over to help with an appointment. Now her family acknowledges the work she does for them and makes sure she has breaks—and plenty of time to be a kid. With much of the dialogue in colored speech bubbles (blue for English, yellow for Spanish), the book’s design is clever but requires a measure of patience to follow. Despite that, this comically written yet deeply felt story is a refreshing validation of the necessary work many bilingual children do for their parents. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Monica Arnaldo
CCBC Age Recommendation: 5-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Bilingual Books
Communication
Families
Feelings/Emotions
Helpfulness
Immigration and Immigrants
Problem-Solving
Spanish Language
Diversity subject:
Latine
Publishers:
Penguin Random House, Kokila
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780593620441
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Abtahi