Wunderkind Reads: Get to Know Bernardo de Gálvez

A new children's book by a well-known Spanish radio/TV journalist tells the little known true story of a woman activist who gets Congress to keep a 230-year old promise and hang a portrait of a Hispanic hero of the American Revolution in the Capitol. 

Get to Know Bernardo de Galvez is written by Spanish TV and radio journalist Guillermo Fesser. This beautifully illustrated children's book deals with a timely political/cultural issue and makea a great conversation starter for families on many different topics, like: keeping promises, multiculturalism, advocating for what you believe in, U.S. history, etc.

Did you know George Washington turned to a Hispanic governor for help in defeating the British during the American Revolution? Bernardo de Gálvez, the Hispanic governor of Louisiana at the time, prevented the British from attacking Americans from the South and sent medicine, weapons, uniforms, and other goods to Continental Army troops on the Mississippi River. In a nod toward Hispanic Heritage Month and the new school year, Spanish journalist, radio host, and author, Guillermo Fesser, has penned GET TO KNOW BERNARDO DE GÁLVEZ (Santillana USA – Loqueleo; $13.93) to honor the little known hero and shine a spotlight on the influence Hispanics have had on American culture.

“Hispanics have made significant contributions to the formation of the United States and we belong here,” said Fesser. “I want children from all cultures to go to school and hold their heads high. It’s particularly important given the world today that young people know we all make up America and we are all worthy of respect.”

Whimsically illustrated by Alejando Villén, GET TO KNOW BERNARDO DE GÁLVEZ, follows a spunky woman activist on her quest to have Congress honor its 230-year old promise to hang a portrait of Gálvez in the Capitol. As the story progresses, readers learn that:

• The first American cowboys were called vaqueros, which is where the term ’buckaroos’ comes from and why Spanish words like lasso, corral, and rodeo, are still used today

• Louisiana was mostly Spanish before it was reacquired by France (much architecture of the French Quarter is Spanish)

• Hispanic citizens (from Málaga) sent money to George Washington to help fund the Battle of Yorktown

• Galveston, Texas, is named after Gálvez

• Former President Barack Obama granted Gálvez Honorary U.S. citizenship (2014)

The 32-page book is intended for children ages 7 through 10. It’s published in English and separately in Spanish. Fesser is working on getting the book into American classrooms and is developing a digital platform so that teachers may foster discussions with interactive tools.

About the Author

Guillermo Fesser is a Spanish journalist from Madrid known throughout Spain for his innovative morning radio talk show, Gomaespuma, which ran 25 years and had over 1 million listeners. He is the author of several titles: RUEDAS Y EL ENIGMA DEL CAMPAMENTO MT, GET TO KNOW BERNARDO DE GÁLVEZ (available in English and Spanish), and ONE HUNDRED MILES FROM MANHATTAN (available in English and Spanish). He has also written and directed films; edited and hosted television news programs; and published articles in the major Spanish newspapers El Pais and El Mundo. Fesser lives with his family in Rhinebeck, New York, where he is a TV correspondent for El Intermedio in Spain, broadcasts weekly stories on life in small-town America to Onda Cero Radio in Spain and blogs for The Huffington Post.

Until next time...