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MARTA! BIG & SMALL

Name: MARTA! BIG & SMALL
Author: Jen Arena
ISBN: 9781250886859

by Jen Arena ; illustrated by Angela Dominguez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2023

A simple but effective Spanish-word lesson for little ones.

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The comparisons between a young girl and the animals she encounters make for a unique Spanish primer.

Marta, a brown-skinned child cued as Latine, with her hair up in double buns, is “an ordinary girl,” but her adventure is anything but. Starting from the base of her treehouse, she sees an elephant, a horse, a lion, even a huge snake. Readers discover how the child is viewed very differently by each creature. “To a bug, Marta is grande. Big. Very big.” But “To an elephant, Marta is pequeña. Small, very small.” A horse might see Marta as “lenta” (“slow, very slow”), while a turtle sees her as “rápida” (“Fast, very fast”). Each Spanish word is explained clearly in context without it feeling like a dictionary-style translation. At the end of the book, a two-page spread uses a new set of Spanish words to show how she and each creature are alike. She’s “fast like el caballo” (the horse), “small like el insecto” (the insect), and, of course, “clever, very clever, like una niña.” Illustrations, dominated by Marta’s expressive face and body, paired with animal action shots on white backgrounds, are effective and fun, helping the Spanish vocabulary lesson go down easily. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A simple but effective Spanish-word lesson for little ones. (Board book. 3-5)

Pub Date: June 6, 2023

ISBN: 9781250886859

Page Count: 20

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

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GIVE
by Jen Arena ; illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

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BIG GREEN GARAGE
by Jen Arena ; illustrated by Mike Dutton

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SALSA LULLABY
by Jen Arena ; illustrated by Erika Meza

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CAT GOT A LOT

From the I Like To Read series

by Steve Henry ; illustrated by Steve Henry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 15, 2015

Another ideal story for newly hatched readers.

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Happy Cat and his neighbors return for another early reader (Happy Cat, 2013).

“Cat liked fish.” The smiling kitty descends from his attic apartment past the apartments of artist Parrot and musician Elephant, past reading Dog and gardening Rabbit and hungry Mouse. “Cat went out.” He sees a trumpet in a window and goes in the shop. He sees books out in front of a store and goes in there too. He goes in and out of several more stores populated by grinning animals of all types across a quaint town in autumn, and he returns with quite a few purchases. Turns out, he has purchased something for each of his neighbors (readers glean this from the illustrations), and all are happy—including Cat, of course. Henry returns to the I Like to Read series with his smiling orange tabby. In 20 words and with many visual cues in the bright and friendly watercolor illustrations, he tells a simple shopping story. Repetition of the one- and (extremely few) two-syllable words will build confidence in readers just starting out, and the heavy-outlined, full-bleed illustrations offer myriad details to catch the eye and extend the story.

Another ideal story for newly hatched readers. (Early reader. 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-8234-3385-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: June 22, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BUG ON THE BUS
by David Catrow ; illustrated by David Catrow

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LETTER SETTERS IN FUN!
by Ethan Long ; illustrated by Ethan Long

- BOOK REVIEW
JUST ONE OWL
by Carolyn Crimi ; illustrated by Janie Bynum

- BOOK REVIEW
FRIENDS ARE FUN
by Steve Henry ; illustrated by Steve Henry

- BOOK REVIEW
SNOW IS FUN
by Steve Henry ; illustrated by Steve Henry

- BOOK REVIEW
HIDE!
by Steve Henry ; illustrated by Steve Henry

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LLAMA LLAMA AND THE BULLY GOAT

From the Llama Llama series

by Anna Dewdney ; illustrated by Anna Dewdney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 6, 2013

While children should not expect a Bully Goat to change his ways so quickly, this does provide them with some tools against...

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Llama Llama loves the fun things he gets to do at school, but will a Bully Goat ruin his day?

Writing, drawing, counting, playing with clay, singing songs during circle time—what’s not to love about school? Well, being called names and laughed at for clapping and singing along, for one thing. Being the target of sand that’s kicked and dirt that’s thrown for another. Teacher has already made it clear that Gilroy Goat’s name-calling will not be tolerated, but Teacher isn’t near the sandbox. What will Llama Llama and Nelly Gnu do? Stand up to him, of course: “Gilroy, this is not OK. / Stop it, or we’ll go away.” They then walk away and tell a teacher. After Gilroy’s requisite lecture and long timeout, kindly Llama Llama approaches him, offering to let him play. While the resolution is too pat, and everyone gets over their feelings unbelievably quickly, still, Dewdney’s lovable Llama Llama offers children one strategy to combat bullying, all couched in her trademark rhyming verse and presented through situations that are sure to resonate with those new-to-school. Her textured oil, colored-pencil and oil-pastel illustrations shine when portraying the animals’ faces—joy, discomfort, surprise, anger, stubbornness, disappointment are all crystal-clear on them.

While children should not expect a Bully Goat to change his ways so quickly, this does provide them with some tools against bullying. (Picture book. 3-5)