Bilingual Books/English and Spanish

Reference Book Editor Daryl Grabraek -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2006

BOFILL, Francesc, adapt. Rapunzel/Rapunzel illus. by Joma. ISBN 0-8118-5059-5; ISBN 0-8118-5060-9. LC 2005007707.
ESCARDÓ I BAS, Mercè, adapt. The Three Little Pigs/Los tres cerditos illus. by Pere Joan. ISBN 0-8118-5063-3; ISBN 0-8118-5064-1. LC 2005007706. ea vol: tr. by Elizabeth Bell. unpaged. (Bilingual Book! Series). CIP. Chronicle 2006. Tr $14.95; pap. $6.95.

K-Gr 2–These titles are beautifully rendered with attractive illustrations and fluid text in English and in Spanish. Rapunzel stands out for its witty and, at times, even poignant, modern illustrations as well as its more inventive adaptation. In this version, when the obligatory prince comes along, he is banished and blinded by the jealous jailor, who also evicts Rapunzel. All ends well as the lovers find one another and live happily ever after (“Y vivieron felices y comieron perdices el resto de sus días”). The Three Little Pigs is a traditional (one might even say straight-laced) adaptation coupled with bold, cartoon-style illustrations. The porcine brothers trot through the story, parting ways, building their various shelters, meeting up with the hungry wolf, and ultimately joining forces in the sturdy brick house–without straying into any narrative flourishes or embellishments.

PreS-Gr 2–This tender story captures a boy at that stage of early childhood when he bestows kisses grandly and generously. The concept works out well as a counting book–one kiss for his bossy big sister, two for his tireless dad, three for mother lying on the couch, etc. His teachers, hair dresser–even the little girl who won’t kiss him back–receive his lavish displays of affection. The enthusiastic text is well adapted by the translator, rendered into Mexican slang terms such as “la mera mera” (for the big sister who “thinks she’s the boss”). Delgado’s saturated-color artwork is equally exuberant as it portrays a representative Southwestern Latino family. In a market replete with clever concept books, this one will no doubt find its special niche.

Gr 2-4–This beginning chapter book is set in an enchanted Mexican village known for its highly skilled ceramic artisans. When a contest in announced, two teens, Marina and Enrique, decide that they will create the winning entry. Enlisting the help of Marina’s pet lizard, they set about to design and throw the most beautiful pot ever made. Lila, the lizard, must use all her reptilian skill and magical qualities to defeat their enemies both in the spiritual world and the physical one. There are mischievous spirits that lurk around the village and also bad-tempered envious potters from other villages who go to extreme lengths to win the prize. While the story is a strong one, the narrative style is unfortunately stiff. This syntactic formality carries over from the English text to the Spanish (e.g., “'I want our vase to express the beauty of the spirit of the mountains,’ Marina whispered, with a look of ecstasy.”/“'Quiero que la olla exprese la belleza del espiritu de las montañas,’ dijo Marina con una expressión extática.”). Despite Branton’s exquisite black-and-white prints, this title is unlikely to become a favorite because of its didactic tone.

K-Gr 2–Lucy is excited about her first trip to the United States to visit family in Ohio. When she and her mother arrive, the child finds that the landscape is very different from her native land and that the language people speak sounds hostile and frightening. Even the family dog, Sparky, doesn’t understand her commands and entreaties. Lucy is terribly homesick until she decides to ask her cousin Robby to teach her a few words of English. By the end of the summer, she is able to master the language well enough to play with Sparky. The text in both languages is a bit dense for the intended audience, but would work well as a read-aloud. The English and Spanish appear separately on the same page, but some intermingling of the two occurs occasionally without being intrusive. Escrivá’s watercolor illustrations are delightful and detailed, complementing the story well. A solid choice for storytimes and for libraries looking to reflect a common immigrant experience of their youngest patrons.

PreS-Gr 2–This sweet, entertaining story features young Oscar as an incorrigible daydreamer who drives his parents to distraction. It is his job to distribute the notices for a weekly picnic throughout the neighborhood, ensuring that everyone knows what to bring. Of course, Oscar is too busy dreaming to remember this important chore. When he realizes the pickle he’s in, Super Oscar springs into action. Using all of his athletic skill and energy, he speeds through the town, picking up groceries, preparing dishes, and even enlisting some friends to provide the music. By the time his family and friends show up for the festivities, all is ready. After his exertions and triumphs (including a victory at the empanada-eating contest), the boy falls asleep under the table, free once again to dream. The acrylic illustrations are dynamic and detailed, often incorporating photograph collages of different food items. Both the English and Spanish texts are fluid. A note to parents suggests exercises that will help children be as fit as young Oscar. A worthy addition to any collection.

Gr 2-4–These highly structured titles offer basic facts for each historical figure along with a small dose of fictionalization to add interest. They take readers methodically through the individuals’ birth and early years, their public life, and on to their deaths. The facts are kept to a minimum, and potentially unfamiliar words such as the Emancipation Proclamation are avoided completely. The texts are illustrated with archival photographs when available or artists’ renderings along with maps. Each volume also has a glossary of key words, a time line, an index (in both languages), and lists for further reading in English and in Spanish. Not all of the suggested Web links are current or equally useful. The most serious drawback to this series lies in the Spanish translations. Although technically correct for the most part, they lack native fluency, adhering too closely to the English texts. Supplementary purchases where needed.

PreS-Gr 1–With no frills or fuss in either text or illustration, Gomi simply and elegantly describes the essential skills that a girl picks up as she navigates her childhood. A dog has shown her how to jump, a monkey demonstrates how to climb, a butterfly shows her how to smell flowers, and the rabbit, how to hide. Ultimately she works her way up to a school setting in which she learns from teachers, books, and friends. The English and Spanish texts (appearing on facing pages) are pared down to the essential words. Gomi’s pastel illustrations convey emotion and movement in a minimum of strokes and a handful of colors. Youngsters will enjoy reading along and mimicking the actions of the protagonist.

PreS–This clever story takes readers throughout the course of a year using a calf as a backdrop. The snow-white animal is introduced on the first page. As the text mentions the melting snows, patches of brown representing the earth appear on its back. As viewers zoom in on the earth, those patches become covered with sprouts of new grass and then blooming flowers, a lush grassy meadow, and storm-tossed fields, until the lamb disappears entirely. It is only with the return of winter, quiet and white, that its outline once again emerges, as a full-grown cow. Gomi’s illustrations are elegant in their simplicity. He effectively incorporates touches of color–the tender greens of spring; the blues, black, and grays of a summer tempest; the russet browns of fall; and the whites that herald winter. Children will be captivated by his clever use of human figures and animals in each scene.

Gr 2-4–Mayte enjoys interacting with all of the colorful street vendors who ply their wares in her town–the produce man, the egg seller, the knife sharpener, the newspaper delivery boy. All are friendly, kind, and interesting in various ways, except for the sour and bad-tempered ice-cream man. Don Aparicio constantly mutters about naughty children who need to be taught a lesson. Mayte comes to believe that he is the Bogeyman (el Cuco) who kidnaps bad children and eats them or sells them at market. When she and her friend Pepito see the man walking down the street with a squirming bag slung over his shoulder, they assume the worst and devise a reckless plan to “save” the captive child in the bag. Much hilarity ensues when the Bogeyman’s bag turns out to contain a couple of chickens. This fun story has an interesting enough plotline to satisfy even reluctant readers. The large illustrations depicting the various Hispanic characters in dynamic settings will also serve to draw in readers of all skill levels. The smoothly rendered text in both English and Spanish appears on the left-hand pages facing a full-bleed painting on the right.

PreS-K–This simple title presents one concept per page. Each spread features a scene, with the English word on one side and the Spanish on the other. The delightful watercolor illustrations show ethnically diverse students engaged in various activities indoors and out. “Escuela./chool,” “Niños./Children,” Clase./ Classroom,” Maestra./Teacher,” “Columpio./Swing,” and “Amigos./Friends” are some of the concepts both illustrated and labeled. A useful and appealing tool for early ESL classes or beginning Spanish lessons.

PreS-Gr 2–This internationally beloved character needs no introduction. Here, Dora is teaching her baby brother and sister some new words. Each page brings a new scene and/or family member–baking in the kitchen with Abuela, exploring pyramids with Mami, a day at the beach with Papi, and meeting new animal friends at the pond with cousin Diego. Pull tabs, flaps, and spinning wheels reveal the Spanish words for each item labeled in English. However, one page reverses the labels for a doll and a baby bottle in both languages.

K-Gr 2–Erin dreams of having a vegetable garden but her parents don’t think she is ready to take on such a responsibility. Luckily, Mr. Martinez, her elderly neighbor, has a lifetime of gardening experience and offers to share his plot with her. Together, they plan for, plant, and carefully tend the seedlings. As the vegetables grow, so does their friendship. What the story lacks in excitement or character development it makes up for in its portrayal of the slow and steady passing of the summer growing season. The impressionistic pastel illustrations suit the quiet mood perfectly, and the Spanish translation is adeptly done.

Gr 2-4–In these easy-to-read titles, children learn, among other things, that the horns of bighorn sheep can grow down and back and curl into a circle, that cougars like to leap onto their prey from above, that baby eagles start to fly at about three months, and that mountain goats shed their thick winter fur by rubbing themselves on bushes. All four books have plenty of full-color photos to appeal to young nature fans.

Gr 2-4–These formulaic titles are intended to supplement the elementary curriculum. Each volume spotlights one desert-dwelling species that will be of interest to kids. Fun and interesting facts abound, such as: Gila monsters are the largest lizards living in the U.S. and have poisonous bites; jackrabbits use their long ears as both ventilation on hot days and a source of warmth in cold weather; rattlesnakes have pits on their faces through which they can sense the body heat of their prey; roadrunners almost never fly, but prefer to walk or run. The Spanish text is well translated and reads smoothly. The full-color photographs capture the animals in the wild.

K-Gr 2–These titles offer good, basic introductions to American Sign Language with accompanying text in both English and Spanish. Each volume takes on a specific concept or theme and is illustrated with simple line drawings and full-color photographs. The children used as models are students at Chicago’s Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School. On each page, a line drawing demonstrates how to make the sign along with a text-based description of the movements (in most, but not all instances). The layout of the books is attractive and useful; the American Sign Language alphabet is appended.

PreS-Gr 1–Not so much bilingual as “Spanglish,” My Little Car is nevertheless an enjoyable foray into Mexican-American culture. The text is primarily in English, with Spanish words sprinkled throughout. The glossary at the beginning of the book features the 16 Spanish words or phrases used in the story. Teresa thinks she is too old for her tricycle and is delighted when her grandfather sends her a low-rider pedal car for her birthday. She shows it off all over her community but eventually becomes careless, leaving it out in the rain and in the driveway, where her father backs into it. When her grandfather comes to visit, he is appalled at the sorry state of the vehicle and encourages Teresa to take better care of it. Together they work on restoring it to its former glory. The author attempts to draw a parallel between the car and the man’s age, but it seems more an afterthought than a true thread of the story. Paparone’s illustrations are full of life, movement, and color and will no doubt appeal to youngsters.

Gr 2-4–Written in the spirit of a creation myth, this story recounts an early time when Mother Nature decides to send the first human infant to join her other creatures on Earth. At first the animals are repulsed and intrigued by the small, skinless, helpless creature–the frog tickles its soft belly, which elicits a loud fart. Through their laughter, the bear, the snake, the turtle, the frog, the armadillo, and the skunk can’t help but wonder what purpose this seemingly defenseless creature can possibly serve. Has Mother Nature made a terrible mistake? As the animals discuss and debate the relative merits of eating the new creature versus protecting it, the baby continues to delight with his farts and giggles. Finally, catching sight of a beautiful pair of butterflies, the animals decide that Mother Nature does not make mistakes and that this creature, too, will eventually turn into something useful and beautiful. The text in both languages is a bit too dense for early readers but will lend itself well to group readings and discussion. The dark, swirling illustrations, done in a symbolic, indigenous style, are fascinating if a bit sophisticated.

Gr 2-4–A stranger dressed in shabby clothes and with a horribly scarred face comes to Carlsbad, CA, causing all the mothers in the barrio to hide their children. For a week, the townspeople sneak peeks at him from behind their closed doors and drawn shades, wondering who he is and why he has come. On Sunday morning, he walks by the church with a fine big rooster in his arms. The glorious bird, sporting a jaunty yellow ribbon around his neck like a leash, drags his owner up and down the street as it races after bugs. The comical sight of the now-familiar man being yanked about by his pet breaks the ice and brings the locals close enough for a chat. Before long, various families have invited him home for supper and accepted him into the community. This well-written story is competently adapted into Spanish (both languages appear on the same page) and illustrated with attractive, brightly colored, naive-style paintings. A quiet, yet tenderhearted story with touches of humor.

PreS-K–A boy says good night to his parents and then tries to get some shut-eye, but the nocturnal noises of the house keep him awake. So, he turns to counting sheep. First comes a single white sheep, followed by two brown ones, then three blacks ones, etc. Each succeeding grouping of rambunctious, rainbow-colored lambs must be herded out (e.g., “¡Adiós, ovejas violetas!/Good-bye, violet sheep!”), and the youngster must come up with ever-more-resourceful ways of getting the animals out of his room. Diaz’s acrylic-and-pencil illustrations are sublime, employing a dreamy palette of colors. The bilingual text is simple, accurate, and engaging. Plenty of repetition makes this an ideal selection for early learners.