Meet Cirilo: The Character Helping Kids Fall in Love with Colombian Culture
If your family has been part of the El Recreo Spanish community for a while, chances are your child already knows his name. If you're new here — let us introduce you to Cirilo: a Colombian boy living in London, and the heart of one of our most-loved storybooks, Cirilo Explora Colombia.
Who Is Cirilo?
Cirilo is a young Colombian boy growing up far from the country his family calls home — much like so many of the children in our own Spanish classes across London, Kent, Bournemouth, and Edinburgh. In Cirilo Explora Colombia: Aventuras de Sabores y Ritmos, he takes readers on an unforgettable journey back through Colombia — from the Amazon rainforest to the Eje Cafetero, the Caribbean coast, and the Andes — discovering the animals, food, music, and traditions that make the country so vibrant.
Written by Milena Jurasz-Cruz, founder of El Recreo Spanish, and beautifully illustrated by Luciana Gómez, Cirilo's story was created for children ages 2 to 10 who are learning Spanish as a second language — or reconnecting with a heritage that lives just a plane ride, or a generation, away.
Why Cirilo Resonates So Deeply With Bilingual Families
Cirilo isn't just a character who happens to speak Spanish. He's a mirror for children growing up between two cultures — proud of where they live, curious about where they come from. Through his journey, kids meet the chigüiro, flamingos, and papagayos of Colombia's landscapes, taste (in imagination) arepas, pandebonos, and ajiaco, and move to the rhythms of cumbia, salsa, and currulao — all through short phrases, a slow, purposeful pace, and an original song that turns the story into something children want to sing, not just read.
More Than a Story — A Bridge to Identity
For families raising children outside their country of origin, Cirilo Explora Colombia becomes something more than a bedtime read. It's a bridge — a way to say, without a lecture, this is part of who you are, and it's beautiful. The book includes downloadable activities, colouring pages, and a theme song, giving families multiple ways to keep the journey alive well beyond the last page.
Where to Meet Cirilo
Cirilo Explora Colombia is available in a fully Spanish edition, as well as a bilingual English-Spanish edition — including our special hardcover definitive edition, designed to become a lasting keepsake on your family's bookshelf.
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