CABE 2009 Recap

Children’s Book Press exhibited at the 34th Annual California Association of Bilingual Education Conference from Feb. 25-28, 2009 in Long Beach.

Attendance was WAY down this year (we all know about California's budget problems). But I was glad to see the teachers who did attend, and spend time with our amazing authors.

Kristy Orona-Ramirez, who wrote Kiki’s Journey, loved chatting it up with the teachers who came by our booth. Kristy is also a 4th grade teacher, and she’s pictured here with the parent of a former student.

We unveiled our newest book hot off the press, Tan to Tamarind: Poems About the Color Brown. The book was a huge hit at CABE, and we actually sold out! Author Malathi Iyenger was a good sport, coming to sign every day. Here she is with a new fan.

Person was there, and I got to see their new Reading Street textbook, which uses artwork and stories from a host of CBP titles, including Moony Luna, and Quinito’s Neighborhood. They raffled off some original artwork there.

In the off time, I tagged along with authors Amada Irma Perez and Rene Colato Lainez. Both were featured authors at CABE, and, as I found out this evening, both were also great salsa dancers!

A chance meeting with some amazing women at the CBP booth. From left: Susan Katz (Founder of ConnectingAuthors), Amada Irma Perez (best-selling children’s book author), Alma Flor Ada (who recently received a CABE lifetime achievement award and who is publishing a book with CBP in the spring of 2010), and Rosie Arenas (a professor of multicultural education at CSU Fresno and a long-time friend of CBP).