BABIES NURSE / ASÍ SE ALIMENTAN LOS BEBÉS

This bilingual (English/Spanish) book showcases different baby mammals all sharing one common trait: They are all nursing from their mothers.

In rhyming English text accompanied by its Spanish counterpart, readers are introduced to 13 different nursing mammals. The illustrations are done in watercolor, the inherent gentleness and warmth of the media making it an ideal complement to the text. Each animal—horse, tiger, monkey, seal, zebra, dog, panda, bat, polar bear, cat, deer, dolphin, and human—is depicted in the act of nursing, the text reinforcing this fact: “Seal pup nurses / on the beach, / mama stays / within her reach. // La foca en la playa / está vigilando, / mientras que su cría / se está alimentando.” Older children will enjoy the extra information that can be found about each animal at the end of the book. Unfortunately, while the Spanish in the rhyming text portion of the book is correct, the Spanish in the endmatter is full of mistakes. For example, while the English text states that tigers must “crawl backwards” when climbing out of a tree, the Spanish translation states they do this on their backs (“arrastrarse de espaldas”), thus conveying completely different information. Any book that presents facts in multiple languages must ensure that they are correct across the board.

A sweet book marred by its Spanish translation.