Español for American Kids Who Like Pictures!

I read a book tonight that is a Latino version of "The House that Jack Built" in terms of it being a story that builds on itself and that has a cadence.  What was really fun about it to me, though, in addition to the repeating ending, was the way that it introduced characters and objects in English and then called them by their Spanish names in the following pages.  From context, I really felt like I was remembering the words!  The book was The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos/ Illustrated by Rafael López.  It includes a recipe for rice pudding at the end along with a glossary of Spanish terms.  I really like how the book not only introduces the language but also Hispanic culture.

This book reminded me of two others that I really like because of how they introduce Spanish words in context.  Say Hola to Spanish and Eight Animals on the Town-- both by Susan Middleton Elya-- do a fantastic job of keeping bright illustrations and fun text at the forefront of the reading.  Even though the reviews on Eight Animals on the Town say that it is for older childen, I found that my daughter loved it when she was three.  I do not believe she is out of the norm here.  We made animal sounds to go along with the text, and she came away wanting both re-reading and pineapple upside-down cake (which features in the story).  Both of the Elya books that I mention above are part of larger series that also have an immersive Spanish language feature in a mostly English text. 

So, enjoy your libros with your niños and niñas!

Nursery Rhyme Numbers

As of late, my daughter recites the "One, two, buckle my shoe..." poem at least once a day.  Her Pre-K evaluation a few months ago said that she needed to work on recognizing written numbers.  Ah ha!  While D loves the rhyme and rhythm of her chant, I see it as a wonderful way to practice seeing how we write different numerals.  Yay for the book Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker!  This book does not feature a complicated story and is only slightly an elaboration on the poem itself.  However, the bright illustrations an engaging companion to speaking the nursery rhyme.  Moreover, my daughter gets to see every number she says in bold, bright font.  This is a cute book that works for younger siblings or friends, too.  However, for the pre-writers of the world, it also serves a purpose.