Picture books are an important source for children to learn about the world around them, others, and themselves. The stories children learn and grow up with help to shape their first impression of our world including an awareness and understanding of the diversity within the human experience. For Latinx children, it can prove challenging to find books that authentically reflect their lives. Children’s books depicting characters from Latin America or US Latinx communities make up no more than 5% of all annually published children’s books.

In 2021, the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) established the CLAS BookBox program, a series of seven-week continuing education sessions for K-12 teachers to explore and integrate Latin American centered picture books and poetry into their curriculum. The program offers various BookBox options, each featuring guest speaker experts and focusing on various identities and themes within the diverse Latin American experience. Over 30 teachers participated and completed a CLAS BookBox program, facilitated by CLAS Outreach Coordinator Patricia Vocal and Dr. Patricia Enciso, Professor of Literature for Children and Young Adults at Ohio State. As part of the program, each teacher received a free set of books, guided instruction on critical reading with Latinx literature, and library support to create a custom lesson-plan on a program book.

The "Stories in Reflection: Latin American and Latin Children's Literature" exhibit features select books used in the CLAS BookBox program as well as children’s books donated by the faculty from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the private collection of Dr. Enciso. Visit the first floor of Thompson Library near room 165 to view the exhibit curated by Latin American, Iberian, and Latino/a Studies Librarian Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros.