Los Angeles Daily News: Cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz reads his book Poquita’s Garden to children in Skid Row

The Los Angeles Daily News recently highlighted a Poquita’s Garden event at Para Los Niños Charter Elementary School in Los Angeles in March. 

The event, which included a reading of the book by author and illustrator Lalo Alcaraz and a healthy food preparation demonstration, was sponsored by Heluna Health in honor of National Reading Month and National Nutrition Month. 

In the Los Angeles Daily News story, Christina Mariscal Pasten, managing director of external affairs at the Para Los Niños, explained that the nonprofit, which provides integrated education, wellness, support and advocacy services, was founded to serve homeless children on and around Skid Row. 

“While the city and the county have invested a lot of resources into homelessness, it’s really structured for single adult individuals, not for families,” Pasten said. 

Click here to read the story in the Los Angeles Daily News (requires subscription), or here to read the story in partner publication Whittier Daily News (no subscription needed). 

Author and Illustrator Alcaraz kicked off the day with a lively, interactive story time. The second-grade students enjoyed following along with the story and sharing their own experiences with growing plants and reading at home. 

Poquita’s Garden follows Amaya, a young girl who brings a struggling fruit tree back to life and turns an abandoned urban lot into a thriving garden. Along the way, she learns useful gardening tips from her uncle, a campesino (farm worker), and brings her community together, ensuring that everyone has access to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

The story addresses literacy, nutrition and food access, encouraging children to explore where their food comes from and the importance of healthy eating.

After story time, the students participated in a salad-making lesson with Growing Hope Gardens. The students worked together to make a salad with locally grown ingredients including tomatoes, lettuce and beans, all picked fresh the previous day. 

After adding finishing touches – dressing and a sprinkle of cheese – the little chefs got to eat their tasty creations, leading to smiles all around. After the activity, each student got their own copy of Poquita’s Garden to take home.

Heluna Health has already distributed 10,000 copies of Poquita’s Garden through its more than 30 WIC sites and through collaborations with organizations like Para Los Niños. Heluna Health is eager to continue working with partners to get the book into the hands of more children and expand community gardens where families need them most. This project was made possible, in part, by a generous grant from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. 

Click here to learn more about how you can help by donating or helping Heluna Health grow its reach by sponsoring the book’s next print run or a community garden.