SAN FRANCISCO – November 5, 2013 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – Military veteran, keynote speaker and Air Force Captain Graciela Tiscareño-Sato wants to see Latinas and women in uniform front and center in classrooms around the USA this Veterans Day and all year long. To accomplish this objective, the founder of one of the nation’s few Latina-owned publishing and marketing firms, northern California-based Gracefully Global Group LLC, recently published Good Night Captain Mama/ Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá [ISBN: 978-0-9834760-3-0]. When it debuted, it went straight to the bestseller lists in three children’s book categories: military children’s books, Hispanic/Latino and “Things that Go/Transportation.”
“I’m doing my part to encourage our children and young adults to pursue careers in STEM fields, including aviation. Our youth should know about the AFROTC scholarship that made my university education at Berkeley possible. I’d love to see more Latinas becoming military officers”
This unique early picture book for children from ages three to eight is the first of its kind – the first to be written in both English and Spanish and the first to depict a Latina mother in military service. Tiscareño-Sato served as an officer and navigator onboard the U.S. Air Force KC-135R refueling tanker after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley as an Air Force ROTC scholarship cadet. Her first children’s book was inspired by a conversation with her three year-old son when he saw her in her flight suit the night before a Veterans Day presentation at his preschool. The picture book features the work of Latina illustrator Linda Lens whose father Alberto served in the United States Air Force.
The book went to print with nearly two dozen endorsements from the educational, library, military and Latino communities. Here are key comments from those who were first to review.
Dr. Angelica Perez-Litwin, Founder of ELLA Leadership Institute, wrote “Poignant, powerful and beautiful—Good Night Captain Mama celebrates a mother’s love for her child and a military woman’s love for her country. As we turn the pages, we journey through that special and impressionable moment when a child rediscovers who his mother is, beyond ‘Mom.’ This enlightening story of courage, love and leadership is a must-have book on children’s night tables and library bookshelves around the world.”
Monica Olivera reviewed the book for Mommy Maestra and said, “There are not many (are there any?) books about Latinas in the military. So this ground-breaking bilingual book is a special treat for not only military families, but also for the Latino community as a whole. Our girls need to be empowered to be the captains of their own lives, and this book is a great tool for teaching them to do so.”
Roxana Soto of Spanglish Baby wrote “This bilingual book, which has been impeccably translated to Spanish, tells the story of a little boy named Marco who is curious about seeing his mom in her uniform…she gives him a special patch to hold onto as she leaves on a mission. This book is perfect not only for kids’ with family members in the military, but also for parents who want to teach their kids about those in uniform and the need to respect them and honor them for all they do.”
Dr. Michael Hogan, author of The Irish Soldiers of Mexico and former State Department consultant for the Office of Overseas Schools stated, “This book is a treasure, a wonderful way for a child to learn about flight, about service, and to share in his mother’s life and adventures. The Spanish translation for the English text is a welcome addition. Like many educators who have seen the positive results of dual-language learning, this was a particular delight for me. It also provides a vehicle for children to be proud of their heritage and culture and to see the beauty and interconnections between both languages. More people should know of the sacrifices that Latinos and Latinas have made (and are continuing to make) for the United States; too few do.”
Author and social entrepreneur Graciela Tiscareño-Sato is a sought-after keynote speaker on leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and a professional sparker of huge dreams in small children (including three of her own.) Through live presentations and literature, she brings new positive imagery to the current national conversation about both women in the military and the Latino community. Event planners should know that the publisher works with corporate brands to put their logos on the covers of her books and gift them to school children. Brands wishing to connect with the Latino community will benefit from a marketing tactic with a tremendously long shelf life (branded books stay in circulation for years unlike other event sponsorship tactics) and the children who will benefit most from this aviation travel adventure series can enjoy the books for free.
“I loved serving this nation and wearing my flight suit for nearly a decade,” shared Tiscareño-Sato “I’m doing my part to encourage our children and young adults to pursue careers in STEM fields, including aviation. Our youth should know about the AFROTC scholarship that made my university education at Berkeley possible. I’d love to see more Latinas becoming military officers, AFTER receiving their bachelor degrees and to enjoy the life-long benefits of serving in leadership roles. Lastly, together with the women veterans and authors who have created the National Women Veterans Speakers Bureau, I want our school children to celebrate the Veterans Day holiday with images of women, mommies and Latinas, proudly serving in uniform. This children’s book, the first in a planned Captain Mamá series, answers the basic questions of WHY we volunteer to serve.”
To receive Good Night Captain Mama in time for Veterans Day, please order through Amazon.com here. Amazon buyers who forward their receipt to info at gracefullyglobal dot com by November 20th will receive an embroidered, military-style patch of the book’s cover art as seen here. The book is available through wholesaler Ingram and distribution Baker and Taylor to serve school, library and retail buyers. It’s also available through Amazon channels in the UK, Spain and Germany. Teacher Packs (books and patches together) and signed gift books can be ordered directly from the publisher at http://www.captainmama.com. The book will be released on the Kindle and IPad platforms early next year. It will be available through accessible formats via Bookshare.org for readers with visually-impairments and print disabilities by summer 2014. Follow Captain Mama on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/captainmama and connect with the author on Twitter at @GraceTiscareno.
About Gracefully Global Group, LLC
Gracefully Global Group LLC is the premiere publisher and promoter of positive media images and case studies from the Latino community in book, eBook, DVD and live presentation formats. The firm is certified as an SBE, MBE and WBE by several organizations. The firm’s first book, Latinnovating: Green American Jobs and the Latinos Creating Them (ISBN: 978-0-9834760-0-9) took home three honors at the 2012 International Latino Book Awards in New York City. The awards included Best Business Book, Best Nonfiction eBook and 2nd Place, Best Nonfiction Young Adult Book for its unique focus on showcasing Latino-led innovation and entrepreneurship in the green economy. Founder and Chief Creative Officer Graciela Tiscareño-Sato is a bestselling author in the Amazon multicultural education category and speaks at conferences, universities, association events and schools around the world. The firm’s tagline is “We create, market and present content that informs, inspires and motivates a variety of multicultural audiences into action.” http://www.gracefullyglobal.com