Books in Translation
By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 29, 2010
A new batch of stories have recently been translated into Spanish. Following are some interesting tales:
Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off
by Pat Stemper Vojta (Author), Esther Szegedy (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Raven Tree Press (2009) Read more
Teaching Foreign Language Through Song
By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 26, 2010
I’ve recently read a few new books that aim to teach our children Spanish the old-fashioned way: with songs and nursery rhymes. There are a plethora of computer programs that can be used to learn foreign languages but many language teachers will tell you that vocabulary and practice are the only real ways to learn a foreign language. What better way to learn new words and practice them over and over again, but by learning catchy songs and nursery rhymes?
Following are some recently published books that caught my eye: Read more
Pelé, King of Soccer/Pelé, El rey del fútbol en español
In honor of the 2010 World Cup final …
Pele, The King of Soccer/El rey del futbol from Monica Brown on Vimeo.
Pelé, el rey del fútbol en español from Monica Brown on Vimeo.
Add this book to your collection: Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol by Monica Brown
Before You Were Here, Mi Amor: Samantha R. Vamos
Add this book to your collection: Before You Were Here, Mi Amor
The Very Hungry Caterpillar / La oruga muy hambrienta
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 21, 2010
Exciting news: Eric Carle’s classic story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is available as a BILINGUAL First Book Marketplace Special Edition exclusively through the First Book Marketplace—an online store selling high-quality children’s books and educational materials at deeply discounted prices to registered organizations serving children from low-income families. Read more
Fables with a different flair
By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 15, 2010
I’ve written before about the spate of new books that are bilingual and aim to tell a story as well as teach another language. For the most part, these have been in Spanish. Recently, I received a few new books that tell fables from a Native American perspective. These have been interesting for me to read as they open up a whole new world of literature and they’ve been interesting for my kids as well because of their vivid and fantastic stories. Here’s a brief rundown of three of them: Read more
A Walk With Grandpa
By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: June 1, 2009
by Sharon K. Solomon (Author) and Pamela Barcita (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 19 pages
Publisher: Raven Tree Press; Bilingual edition (June 25, 2009) Coming Soon
What to expect: Inter-generational banter, English text with Spanish translation on same page Read more
Author Showcase: A Gift for Baby
By Jan Hunt
Published: April 27, 2009
Author Showcase: A place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works.*
by Jan Hunt (Author), Sunny Rosanbalm (Illustrator)
Reading Level: Ages 0 – 4
Hardcover: 7″ x 7″, 32 pages
Language: Dual Language English/Spanish Edition
My new picture book, A Gift for Baby, celebrates the many joys of attachment parenting. It was written to inspire parents to look at life through their baby’s eyes, and to meet their needs with love and compassion. Artist Sunny Rosanbalm created the beautiful illustrations, which perfectly suit the story’s message. Read more
Author Showcase: The Wuffle by Wave Walton
By Wave Walton
Published: April 12, 2009
Author Showcase: A place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works.*
by Wave Walton (Author), Ian Crittenden (Illustrator)
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8
Paperback: 34 pages
Publisher: Walton Publishing Group (April or early May through Amazon.com)
Language: Dual Language English/Chinese Edition
The Wuffle by Wave Walton is an original story about a creature that has remained undiscovered deep in a forest. Hiding in his cave, he ventures out occasionally to watch the forest creatures lounge and play by a nearby river. They have no idea that he exists but a chance encounter leads him to integrate with the forest population. Read more
Reimagining some all-time favorites, Damsels in Distress edition
By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: April 7, 2009
These three classics are told simultaneously in Spanish, giving the reader a good reason to revisit these lovely fairy tales.
Beauty and the Beast/La Bella y La Bestia
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books; Bilingual edition (July 5, 2007)
Publisher’s synopsis: “Through her capacity to love, a kind and beautiful maid releases a handsome prince from the spell which has made him an ugly beast.”
Review: In this version of the classic damsel in distress story, Beauty must make up for her father’s transgression and is held captive by the Beast. Despite first impressions, he treats Beauty kindly and eventually she falls in love with him. You can expect a simple story with an ends-justify-the-means ending. The story traces back to France in the 1700s. It has been interpreted on stage and on screen many times–we’ve all seen the Disney version but there have been film versions since the 1940s. This fairy tale’s long history is a testament to the effect it has had on children–and grownups–for ages.
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books; Bilingual edition (January 30, 2008)
Publisher’s synopsis: “A princess takes refuge from her wicked stepmother in the forest cottage of seven dwarfs.”
Review: In this version of the classic fairy tale, Snow White flees her father’s palace after she hears that her evil stepmother is plotting to put an end to her. She takes refuge with the seven dwarfs but is quickly found by her stepmother. This version of Snow White has a particularly mean stepmother and a completely absent father. You can expect a simple tale with a happy ending but there are some scenes that may be a little hard to explain to younger readers–like why the stepmother wants to poison Snow White or why Snow White lays comatose in a glass casket. The story dates back to the 1800s but there have been parallels to historical figures reaching back to the 1500s.
Rapunzel/Rapunzel
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books; Bilingual edition (February 16, 2006)
Publisher’s synopsis: “A beautiful girl with extraordinarily long golden hair is imprisoned in a lonely tower by a witch.”
Review: This version tells the classic tale of a childless couple that desperately longed to have a baby. They lived next door to a garden owned by a witch. When the wife has cravings for some radishes in the witch’s garden, the husband steals them for her. He gets caught by the witch who demands he give up his firstborn on pain of death. Thinking they couldn’t ever have children, the husband agrees. But then, as if by magic, his wife gets pregnant and when the baby is born the witch comes to collect. You can expect a complicated tale of banishment and betrayal and of love lost and then found. This fairy tale is best suited for older children, who will be more able to understand the vagaries of love and the whims of destiny. Rapunzel was first published in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm.
Link: Reimagining some all-time favorites, first edition.
