M es de Múcaro

Have you ever seen—or heard—an owl? There’s something undeniably mystifying about them, don’t you think? I had never given owls much thought until one fall evening a few years ago.

I spotted one perched silently on a fence post in my backyard, motionless and regal. I couldn't believe my eyes. From a distance, I watched, completely captivated by its stillness, its quiet presence, and those large, soulful eyes that seemed to hold ancient secrets. As I came back into the house and walked towards the kitchen, I came across a postcard that had an owl-like creature on the front of the card, and its name was Victor. It felt like a sign.

From that moment on, our owl had a name. He has returned to our family home many times over the years, often during moments of transition. His visits, always in the deep quiet of night or the stillness just before dawn, became a kind of ritual. I came to recognize his distinctive call: the haunting refrain of the barred owl, which sounds curiously like, “Who cooks for you?”

Intrigued, I began to learn more about these mysterious birds. The more I read, the more I admired them—not just for their beauty and power, but for the way they embody something timeless. Their silent flight, their patient gaze, their presence during life's shifting seasons—all of it reminded me that some things change, while others, like language, memory, or instinct, endure.

My admiration for owls led me to explore the different names used to identify them, both here in Virginia and in Puerto Rico. That’s when I discovered the múcaro, a type of owl that lives and thrives on the island. I was surprised to learn that the word múcaro has been around for hundreds of years. It has deep ancestral roots, tracing back to the Taíno people—the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico. And I thought...there must be more words that exist in the Spanish language that are rooted in the spoken language of the Taínos. It wasn’t long before I decided to begin researching and creating an ABC book of words with Taíno origins—words that are still alive and present in the Spanish language today.

M es de Múcaro is a bilingual ABC book that presents Taíno words adopted into the Spanish language in the 15th century and are still in use today. Each word is paired with an illustration and its phonetic pronunciation. This book is the work of love and a conscious effort to honor, explore, and preserve the culture and identity of the original people of the New World. Whether you teach Spanish as a foreign language, as part of a bilingual or dual-language program, or simply wish to learn more about the rich Taíno-Spanish cultural heritage, this book is for you. The book is currently available on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F85K3LMY?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520