Editorial Portavoz's Christmas release for Spanish-speaking children ages 4 to 8, El burrito de Belén (Clopper, the Christmas Donkey, 978-0-825-41790-0, $9.99), taps into a rich vein of Hispanic tradition.

"Christmas in Spanish-speaking areas is a very important religious holiday and is celebrated in a variety of ways," said Cathy Vila, director of marketing for Editorial Portavoz. "One of the most beloved characters from the Christmas story is the donkey, known to Spanish-speaking children as El burrito de Belén, the Christmas donkey. Throughout all the Spanish-speaking countries of the world, children sing a song about the Christmas donkey."

The new, 32-page hardcover book "takes the story one step further with colorful illustrations and gives the donkey a voice to tell his tale."

El burrito de Belén tells the story of the greatest adventure of a hardworking donkey's life—escorting Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and the dusty stable in which Jesus would be born, and the subsequent news from the angels that brought three shepherds to pay their respects.

Quotations from the Luke 2:1-20 passage are set throughout the book by scrolls that are drawn into the illustrations. The book is intended to both be read by young children on their own and enjoyed as a read-aloud with parents.

The original version in English was released by Kregel Publications in 2003 and has had tremendous success, continuing to be a best-seller for the past five Christmas seasons. Vila said that Editorial Portavoz had been very pleased with the initial response to the book: "It promises to become a new classic for Spanish-speaking children to read at Christmas."

The book is a collaborative effort by author Emily King and illustrator Ed Olson. They have also collaborated on two other English books in this series, Clopper and the Lost Boy and Clopper and the Night Travelers, both available in English from Kregel Publications.

For more information, call 877-733-2607 or go to www.portavoz.com.

In addition to promotional efforts in the U.S., Grupo Nelson's launch in key countries throughout Latin America includes the best-selling author's September tour of Monterrey and Mexico City, taking the message of his book to the streets of Mexico.

"There already exists a great deal of expectation among many important leaders and pastors in the country who hope that this message will impact many," said Claudia Duncan, marketing director for Grupo Nelson. "There is no better time to share this message than now."

Lucado's book began as a sermon series for his San Antonio church, where the author said that he was surprised to discover how many were living "in a state of fear."

In his first major book since 2007's 3:16, Lucado addresses common concerns such as running out of money and the fear of death, offering ways to face them with faith. Evidence that God is trustworthy is drawn from Jesus' encounters in Scripture with people in frightening situations.

For more information, visit the publisher's Web site, www.gruponelson.com. To order Sin temor, call 800-322-7423, ext. 1893.

First published in English as Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints by Crossway Books in 2008, the collective response from contributors such as John MacArthur, Randy Alcorn, Jerry Bridges and Helen Roseveare is that Christians must stand and face the daily challenges of life.

Each contributor brings decades of experience to their writing, from MacArthur's longtime shepherding of a church to Alcorn's involvement in the culture wars, and from Bridges' patience through suffering to Roseveare's courageous constancy on the war-torn mission field.

Piper's chapter examines the meaning of getting old to the glory of God. "Retirement" should be about aging in ways that make God, not the treasures of this world, look glorious, he suggests, resisting the typical American dream of retirement, and instead being set free by a superior satisfaction in Jesus.

The book closes with Taylor's interviews with contributors, through which he gives a little more insight into the men and women and their personal stories.

Pastor of preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Piper's many books include When I Don't Desire God and What Jesus Demands From the World, both of which are also available from Editorial Portavoz in Spanish.

For more information on Cómo perseverar hasta el final, visit www.portavoz.com. To order, contact Editorial Portavoz at 877-733-2607.

In response to demand from retailers, Whitaker House is releasing its first two Spanish fiction titles this month—translations of two contemporary novels by Sharlene MacLaren, the company's top-selling fiction writer.

"Both Christian and general market retailers have been asking us for good Spanish fiction for quite some time, but we wanted to wait for books that would translate well," said Vice President Bob Whitaker Jr.

En medio de la tormenta (Through Every Storm, 978-1-603-74165-1, $9.99), MacLaren's 2007 debut novel, revolves around a couple coming to grips with the loss of a child. Un largo camino a casa (978-1-603-74164-4, $9.99), released in English by Whitaker House last fall as Long Journey Home, explores the relationship between an abused single mother and an embittered former pastor who flee their respective hometowns in an effort to escape their problems and end up as neighbors.

The protagonists in both books grapple with survival, loss, bitterness, betrayal and abuse. Though the storylines, characters and settings vary, the threads of hope and redemption throughout both texts are themes that transcend cultural and language barriers, Whitaker said.

"We felt the universal issues addressed in these two books—along with their success in the English versions—provided the perfect scenario to test the market for Spanish fiction," Whitaker said. "The fact that both are also modern stories that could take place anywhere in the world contributed as well."

Whitaker House Bilingual Sales Associate Diane Rogers introduced the new fiction titles in May at Expolit, where she said interest was high. "The general Spanish fiction market is booming with novels, short stories, novellas and graphic novels—popular with both men and women," Rogers said. "Many at Expolit were optimistic that the growing hunger for Spanish fiction will cross over into the Christian market as well."

Besides exposure at Expolit and the International Christian Retail Show, Whitaker House featured the new titles in a mailing to 4,000 retailers worldwide.

"It's too early to tell whether Spanish fiction will take off for us or not," Whitaker said, "but we've had some good pre-sales and are cautiously optimistic."

For more information on Whitaker fiction, visit www.whitakerhouse.com. To order, call 800-444-4484.

Cathy Hickling is director of publicity for Whitaker House.

California pastor Francis Chan challenges Christians to live out their faith with radical abandon in Loco amor: Asombrado por un Dios incesante ( Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, 978-1-599-79551-5, $9.99), released this month by Casa Creación.

The English edition has been a top seller for David C. Cook, from which the translation has been licensed, since its May 2008 release.

New releases for children from Concordia Publishing House this month are led by Las parábolas de Jesús: Mensajes para niños ( Jesus’ Parables: Messages for Children, 978-0-758-61754-5) by Daniel Klenovsky, Edith Calaba and Erna Habringer.

The 53-page book introduces children up to age 12 to Jesus’ teachings through 12 of His parables including the good Samaritan, the lost sheep and the mustard seed. Each lesson includes reproducible activities. An accompanying CD offers six original songs to complement the lessons. The set retails for $22.99.