Mami's Magic Words

By Kiara Valdez

Gibberish meets Alma and How She Got Her Name in a celebration of language and how the words we use connect us with the people we love most

Words are like magia--magic

When her Spanish teacher asks the class to share the words that spark the most magic for them, Karena knows exactly what's at the top of her list:

Poloch

But when she's told that it's not a real word, she's thrown for a loop. Her mami said it just that morning, whispered under her breath like a spell to make every wrinkle in Karena's shirt disappear. So begins her mission to prove that there is more to language than what can be found in a dictionary. After all, her mami's words are full of love and memory--what could be more magical than that?

Kiara Valdez's singular text and Richy S nchez Ayala's vibrant illustrations celebrate the different ways that families keep language alive by bringing their own history and traditions to the table.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593691105
• ISBN13: 9780593691106
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Length: 40 Pages
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3