Countdown for Nochebuena

by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

Overview

Celebrate the Latine traditions of Christmas Eve with this joyful story that counts up to twelve and back down again. 

Also available in a shorter board book edition. 

This charming, bouncy text that alternates between English and Spanish and counts holiday elements like dancers, singers, and special foods up to twelve—to midnight, when Christmas Eve turns to Christmas and presents are opened!—and back down again, pairs perfectly with its illustrative context clues. In this story, family members young and old are excited to gather in their best festive clothes to celebrate Nochebuena, a Christmas Eve celebration for Latine people around the world. Simple yet lyrical text inspired by the author-illustrator's Cuban American heritage combines with a warm art style perfect for celebrating the holiday.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316467919
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Adriana Hernández-Bergstrom is an up-and-coming Cuban American mixed-media author-illustrator and designer. Her debut picture book was Abuelita and I Make Flan. She received a Walter Dean Myers Grant from We Need Diverse Books and was chosen as a WNDB Mentee in illustration. She studied industrial design at RISD and printmaking and theatre production at the University of Miami. Adriana lived in Germany for many years and speaks English, Spanish, and German.
 

Editorial Reviews

08/28/2023

In English and Spanish, this concept book counts up Christmas Eve rituals among a tight-knit Latinx-cued family, taking readers up to 12—the stroke of midnight—and back again. Hernández Bergstrom employs brief lines (“Una familia/ brimming with joy.// Dos helpful tíos/ preparing the roast”) to survey the family, portrayed with various skin tones, as they cook, dance, eat, make music, and open gifts at midnight. An emphasis on the joy of being together radiates from the pages, all portrayed in a warm graphical style, which highlights grids of “platos ricos” and “hot platos packaged to go,” and a joyful intergenerational group dancing the night away. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Countdown for Nochebuena:
LA Times Best Books to Read During the Holidiays by Latinx Authors
Publishers Weekly 2023 Holiday Books for Kids

"With sweet imagery, this simple counting book that celebrates family, friends, and Christmas will appeal to children and adults."—School Library Journal

“An emphasis on the joy of being together radiates from the pages.”—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Tumble:
An American Library Association Notable Children's Book of 2024
 

"What a journey this is. While the text is simple...the life forms that the plant encounters are complex. ...Deceptively simple yet wondrous."—Kirkus, starred review

"Simple prose and spare scenes successfully convey desert ecology through the experiences of a humble 'tumble.'"—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Bergstrom's story is told in short, rhyming couplets paired with rich, earthy illustrations. ...Dusted with a hint of whimsy, this playful primer on desert life is perfect for all libraries."—School Library Journey, starred review

From the Publisher

09/15/2023

Toddler-PreS—It is December 24th, and a family of five is ready to drive and join others as they prepare for Nochebuena. In this festive counting picture book, multiracial characters of varying ages delight in sweets and food from different Latin American countries, play instruments, and dance. The simple and semi-rhyming Spanglish narrative, accompanied by bold numbers counting up to 12 and back down to 1, introduces a few Spanish vocabulary words and other straightforward Spanish terms that children from heritage families will likely recognize. This book is perfect for a bilingual Christmas story time where attendees can clap, drum, and dance along with the book's characters. Cuban American artist Bergstrom's seasonal color scheme emphasizes red and green, as jolly pictorial elements of presents, dishes, and Christmas décor complement the holiday setting. A glossary with definitions for all the Spanish terms (other than names of food) is included. This book highlights family ties and a Latinx-based celebration of Christmas Eve. VERDICT With sweet imagery, this simple counting book that celebrates family, friends, and Christmas will appeal to children and adults.—Kathia Ibacache

School Library Journal