(This article was written by Steven Hughes and was featured in the September 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)
Over the past decade, Harlingen has become a space for embracing the blending of cultures. Efforts look like Harlingen Downtown’s Fiesta de Piñatas and the Literacy Center of Harlingen’s computers with Rosetta Stone’s English learning software for Spanish-speaking students. These are examples of changes coming to the city.
Two staff members from Zavala Elementary at Harlingen Consolidated School District (HCISD) tossed their hats into the culture blender by publishing children’s books about different aspects of the Hispanic family life many Rio Grande Valley (RGV) residents and natives understand.
Jessica Posada, the nurse for Zavala, and Monica Velasquez, a kindergarten teacher, entered a new career stage: children’s book authors. Posada wrote “House Chores,” illustrated by artist Gloria Johnson, published in June 2024; Velasquez wrote “The Wait Until Sunday for Pan Dulce,” drawn by artist Natasha Bolonna, published in December 2023. What inspired the two RGV authors were their children.
“I’m trying to grow professionally and get comfortable in another role,” Posada said. “Getting my feet wet into the author role, a webpage, social media, and how to promote the book. I think I’ve entered an era of reflection.”
Posada’s book features a family getting together for chores around their house: washing dishes to bathing the family’s pet dog. Velasquez’s book features a little girl learning patience for Sunday so that a family member brought the traditional pan dulce — Bolonna’s illustrations can make a reader hungry! Both achieved being a source for young language learners that populate RGV elementary schools.
“Pan dulce is something that our Mexican tradition has,” Velasquez said. “We love pan dulce, especially the Valley! We look for quality family time, especially on Sunday.”
Both books are available for purchase on Amazon, enabling HCISD’s two authors from Zavala Elementary to shape thousands of young lives through their work and words.
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