Here is a house
Editorial coordination: Editorial coordination: Josefa Ortega and Cecilia Pompa
Design: Gabriela Cruz and Alberto Laguna
Texts: Alejandra Retana Betancourt
Edition: Casa Gallina
Illustrations: Pepe Retana
Printing: Uroboros Editorial
Page count: 34
Publish date: 2026-09-03
Summary
“Here is a house” is a children's book that explores how girls and boys inhabit and perceive their surroundings in two communities of Mexico City: Santa María la Ribera and Milpa Alta. Through an accordion format, with illustrations by the Nahua authors María José Retana and texts by Alejandra Retana, the work presents scenes of daily life in both localities, contrasting their particularities and highlighting the elements that connect them.
The book arises from a collaborative work process with children from both communities, who participated in interviews, drawing workshops, and story creation. In this way, their voices and experiences become the central axis of the narrative.
In addition to making visible the diversity of urban and semi-rural contexts within the city, “Here is a house” seeks to strengthen the territorial identity of its readers and promote collaborative learning. As part of this effort, the book will be translated into Nahuatl, a language spoken in Milpa Alta, with the aim of contributing to its preservation and expanding its access to more communities.
More than a static publication, the work is conceived as a tool for dialogue and reflection that can be activated in schools, libraries, and community spaces, fostering the recognition of cultural and linguistic diversity in Mexico.
