Juego de Pelota Arrives at El Sótano Bookstores in Mexico

One of the special moments during the Mexico book tour of Juego de Pelota: Descubre sus secretos con La Catrina Bohemia was learning that the book would become part of the selection at Librerías El Sótano, one of the well-known bookstore chains in Mexico.

For Laura Elena Rodríguez Garcidueñas, the author and illustrator of the book, this meant much more than having another place where the book could be sold. After months of research, conversations with players, and people who work to keep these traditions alive, bringing the book to Mexico and seeing it reach a Mexican bookstore was another important step in its journey.

Juego de Pelota was created to introduce children and families to the history and different forms of the Mesoamerican ballgame. Through La Catrina Bohemia, the book takes readers on a journey through these traditions and encourages curiosity about Mexico’s cultural heritage.

The book’s arrival at El Sótano was also possible thanks to Educación Recreativa, Parangueo’s commercial publishing partner in Mexico. They helped make the connection with the bookstore and continue to support the book’s distribution in the country. We are especially grateful to Carlos and Vanessa for their work, enthusiasm, and support throughout this process.

The book’s arrival at El Sótano was even more special because Laura also presented Juego de Pelota there during her Mexico tour. She was joined by Dany Metzcoatl and Ing. Jacobo Victoria Hernández, two people who had been important to the book from its early research stages.

Dany is an Ulama player and also works to share and promote Mexican culture. Jacobo is the president of the Asociación Mexicana de Jugadores de Juegos de Origen Prehispánico A.C. and a Pelota Mixteca player. Both shared their knowledge with Laura during the research for the book and later joined her at different events during her visit to Mexico.

Kary, an Ulama player, was also present and helped record audiovisual material during the event.

So, the arrival of Juego de Pelota at El Sótano means more than simply having a new place to buy the book. It is the result of many people sharing their knowledge, making connections, and helping a project created in the Czech Republic return to Mexico and reach readers in the country whose traditions inspired it.

Watch the Presentation

The presentation at El Sótano was also recorded. For those who could not join us in person, the full event is available on YouTube.

🎥 Watch the Juego de Pelota presentation at El Sótano

For Parangueo Media, this is an important step in our work to create books and projects that bring culture, history, and traditions closer to new generations.

📚 Juego de Pelota: Descubre sus secretos con La Catrina Bohemia is now available at Librerías El Sótano in Mexico.

And this is only another step in the journey of the book.