Celebrating Dia del Niño at Evergreen Elementary

Bi-lingual Evergreen Elementary School in downtown Shelton for years has celebrated Dia del Niño - Day of the Child - with mariachi bands, magic shows and piñatas.

Many of the school's students are Native American or have roots in Guatemala and Mexico, said Evergreen instructor Aide Villalobos. "For many kids who come here, it's their favorite day of the year," she said.

As part of the festivities, Vancouver, Washington, author Belen Medina on April 24 will read her debut children's picture book "Daughter of the Light-Footed People" to Evergreen students in the school's library.

Medina, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in California's Central Valley. She spent her childhood summers in Mexico with her grandparents and has been navigating two cultures all her life. She lives with her husband and two sons.

The book's illustrator, Natalia Rojas Castro, lives in Bogota, Colombia. This is her debut picture book.

The book is about Maria Lorena Ramirez, an ultramarathon runner who is part of the Raramuri Indigenous people of Chihuahua, Mexico. She made international news in 2017 when she won the Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo, a 31-mile race, beating 500 runners from 12 countries while wearing sandals made of rubber tires and a brightly colored skirt, the traditional clothes of Raramuri women.

Villalobos discovered the book and reached out to the author through her website. "I really liked her book because it's based on a real character," she said.

"I was delighted," Medina said of the invitation. "I was surprised."

Medina's appearance at Evergreen Elementary was her first time in Mason County. "I didn't know there was a pocket of Indigenous people in this county," she said.

Medina said she was inspired by Ramirez's story after watching a documentary on her. She's still trying to get a copy of the book to the runner. Her publisher, Simon & Shuster, partnered her with the illustrator. Medina is working on her next two books.

The school's Dia del Niño was sponsored by grant money, which also purchased books, book markers and other prizes.