Newark Author Empowers Bilingual Families With New Children's Book

NEWARK, NJ — With the release of her debut children’s book, Daniela Palacios has given immigrant households an empowering new way to “embrace the beauty of different languages” – while also bonding as a family.

Palacios, a Newark native who attends Columbia University in New York, is the founder of Para KIDS!, a bilingual children's book company that recently released its first offering: “Sara’s New Country and New Friend / El nuevo país y la nueva amiga de Sara.”

According to Palacios, Para KIDS! was born out of a desire to help children become – or remain – bilingual. Creating books featuring immigrant characters are a big part of that plan, she told Patch.

Over the past two years, Palacios has connected with local youth through bilingual readings at community centers and schools. Recently, she partnered with Columbia University for their Manhattanville Community Day monthly events.

Now, with the release of “Sara’s New Country and New Friend,” Palacios is marking another big milestone. And she partly has her brother to thank.

“This project was inspired by the language barriers my younger brother, Xavier, experienced in our bilingual household,” she said.

Palacios recently told TapintoNewark that her family speaks Spanish at home. While this was her first language, her brother’s was English. And it became clear that there was a gap developing – one that the pandemic and remote learning didn’t help.

As her brother struggled to understand the words to a Spanish-language kids book about a bear who steals a boy’s sandwich, she worried that he would grow up without being able to fully appreciate their family’s Hispanic culture. But when Palacios tried to find some books that he and her parents (native Spanish speakers) could enjoy together, she hit a brick wall, Chalkbeat reported.

Instead of giving up, however, the experience inspired Palacios instead. The result? A book about the exact issues that were taking place in her own household.

According to its Amazon page:

“Sara just moved to the United States from Ecuador with her family. Sara is worried because she does not know English very well. On her first day of school, she meets Riley, a Mexican-American girl. Riley knows English and she wants to get better at speaking Spanish. Throughout the school day, Sara and Riley teach each other their native languages and share their cultures, showing the power of friendship. This bilingual story is sure to touch your heart and inspire you to embrace the beauty of different languages.”

The ambitious author has also taught herself some crucial lessons about how to build her own business along the way.

“Despite not knowing any entrepreneurs, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to reach out to founders in the industry, and participated in various business academies to gain mentorship,” Palacios said.

“Utilizing personal savings to fund Para KIDS! was not an option for me,” she continued. “I actively searched for external opportunities and entered numerous pitch competitions. These experiences have led me to improve my public speaking skills, gain crucial funding, and simultaneously raise awareness about the importance of bilingual education.”

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