Nana Lupita and the Magic Sopita (Mi Hermosa Familia/My Beautiful Family)

This enchanting story features the mystery of a grandmother’s secret recipe, a seek-and-find of healing plants, and bilingual words for young readers.

Luna and her little brother Sol are out to solve a mystery! They suspect that their grandmother uses magic to create her remedies because she says that she uses a “magic” ingredient.

At the beginning of the story Luna and Sol catch colds so their grandmother makes a healing soup. Luna overhears Nana singing a classic Spanish children’s song about frog tails while cooking the soup, so Luna secretly thinks that frogs are the magic ingredient. The children explore the enchanted garden in search of frogs until it is time to eat, in which Nana reveals the real secret ingredient. Can you guess what it is?

This sweet semi-bilingual story includes a seek-and-find of traditional plants used in curanderismo and includes the recipe for Nana’s magic soup!

Written by renowned healer Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, Nana Lupita and the Magic Sopita is inspired the author’s grandmother, who was a curandera (a traditional healer of Mexican heritage).

First In a New Series: Mi Hermosa Familia: Stories of Four Generations

When a five-year old girl from el barrio (the neighborhood) shares memories of her beautiful family, her rich imagination takes the wheel as she recalls what did—and what almost did—happen. This semi-bilingual series called Mi Hermosa Familia (My Beautiful Family) highlights the small and beautiful moments found throughout Latino communities, told with a dose of magical realism. All books include an interactive seek and find.