SAY HOLA TO SPANISH

by Susan Middleton Elya ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1996

Sunny illustrations and a rhyming text introduce 70 Spanish words in surprisingly straightforward English sentences: ""A dog is a perro,/a cat is a gato./You drink from a vaso/and eat from a plato."" In addition to providing translations for those who need more help than is supplied in the decidedly Western-flair illustrations, the glossary also insures that the newly bilingual get the pronunciation right. The progression of determinedly happy pictures begins to spring surprises midway through the book; these are sometimes simply amusing (a UFO appears over the increasingly chaotic action) and sometimes verging on the surreal (a fiesta-loving shark swings a bat). The text also includes words (burrito, pi€ata, mosquito) that are identical in the two languages. Outwardly, this book by two newcomers looks like a language lesson from Looney Tunes. Then--(approximately)sorpresa!--it turns out to be innovative, useful, and fun.

Pub Date: March 1, 1996

ISBN: 1880000644

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Lee & Low

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S