Booklandia's Story
Maceo Cabrera Estevez started Booklandia in 2016 at her kitchen table in Oakland, CA. As a homeschooling mami and Barefoot Books Ambassador, she spent years searching for quality Spanish and Bilingual children’s books. During this time she had met many parents, grandparents, teachers and administrators on the same journey.
Ok, I will start writing in 1st person because I want to be real with you.
I wanted to make things easier for families who were frustrated with their late night searches on Amazon or their visits to a bookstore with only a small collection of books translated to Spanish. I also wanted to make it easier for myself. I had spent a few years as a Barefoot Books Ambassador after learning about this small women-owned and women-run company from Mommy Maestra. I fell in love with their books and was thrilled that they have beautifully illustrated Spanish and Bilingual books in their collection. But I needed more. More #ownvoices, more diverse stories, more authentic text, and less time lugging around boxes and boxes of books to book fairs and events. I found the subscription box model, contacted Cinco Books (who continue to be such a great support to Booklandia) and spent countless hours learning how to run a subscription box business.
Since our launch in 2016 we have sent our boxes of:
Booklandia Board Books (0-3)
Booklandia Spanish Picture Books (preschoolers and emerging readers)
Booklandia Bilingual Picture Books (preschoolers and emerging readers)
Booklandia Spanish Chapter Books (independent readers 8-14)
To families and classrooms in:
Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC and Wyoming
- Booklandia has participated in the Bay Area Book Festival and I moderated a panel at the last one in April, Books y Libros.
- We have worked with homeschool charter schools, public libraries and the Oakland Unified School District as a vendor
- We have participated in local vendor events
- Booklandia now has a permanent bookshelf at Kelly’s Corner in the Laurel District in Oakland
- We work with Izzie Chea of Encore Music in Pearland, TX and she is spreading the Booklandia love through Bilingual Storytimes in her community
- We now have a donation program, gifting one book for every subscription box sold to Young Mothers United, a program from the Young Women’s Freedom Center in San Francisco
- We continue our dedication in sourcing inclusive books to put in our boxes and sell in Booklandia’s La Tienda
¡Gracias!
