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)

Source of book: Publisher

Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off by Pat Stemper Vojta follows the travails of a poor groundhog in the run-up to Ground Hog Day. He’s tired of all the pressure and tries to get his friends to step in for him instead. But his friends help him find ways to cope.

Add this book to your collection: Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off

Nathan Saves the Summer

by Gerry Renert (Author), Carrie Anne Bradshaw (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Raven Tree Press (2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Nathan Saves Summer by Gerry Renert tells the tale of a hippo that wants to be a life guard. His animal friends try to dissuade him–the pond they’re swimming in just isn’t big enough for Nathan. But Nathan perseveres and proves that size shouldn’t be a determining factor, drive should be.

Mom’s Choice Award (Gold Recipient: Adventure, Adventurers & Heroes)

Add this book to your collection: Nathan Saves the Summer

Grandma’s Pear Tree

by Suzanne Santillan (Author), Atilio Pernisco (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Raven Tree Press (2009)

Source of book: Publisher

In Grandma’s Pear Tree by Suzanne Santillan, Jessie disobeys his grandmother’s order to not play near her pear tree. He gets a ball stuck in the tree and asks his grandfather for help. But his grandfather is busy, so he gives him an idea instead….Jessie ends up in bigger trouble than before. This amusing tale isn’t fully translated into Spanish but some key terms are and it makes for a very lyrical reading!

Add this book to your collection: Grandma’s Pear Tree

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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:

Buenas Noches, Amigos

by Heide “Pina” Madera (Author), Christina Spangler (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 0-3

Paperback: 14 pages

Publisher: Sing-A-Lingo (2009)

Source of book: Publisher

Buenas Noches, Amigos by Heide “Pina” Madera is a “singable” book that can be incorporated into a child’s bedtime routine easily since it follows a little boy, his cat, and a mouse on their journey from bath to bed to sleep. The book comes with printed music and words for two songs and–in a more modern twist–these can be downloaded from the publisher’s website to accompany the bedtime routine.

Muu, Moo!: Rimas de animales/Animal Nursery Rhymes

by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy (Authors), Rosalma Zubizarreta (English versions) and Vivi Escriva (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 2-7

Hardcover: 48 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Muu, Muu! Animal Nursery Rhymes by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy is a collection of traditional Spanish nursery rhymes and their English translations. The book is full of beautiful Latin American-inspired illustrations with lots of colorful images.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add this book to your collection: Before You Were Here, Mi Amor

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a school and home library staple. ”As a tiny green caterpillar eats his way through the book, he is transformed into a beautiful butterfly.” From the scientific wonder of caterpillar-to-butterfly, the critter’s voracious hunger for many familiar foods, the tissue-paper illustrations, and the creative design of the pages; it’s no wonder that this ravenous caterpillar has been touching hearts for decades—including mine! I’m thrilled that this book is available in such a useful format, I just had to let you know.

If you’re a registered organization you can purchase this exclusive bilingual edition from the First Book Marketplace.

Otherwise, you can purchase the Spanish or English edition from our affiliate store: La oruga muy hambrienta or The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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:

Isabel and the Hungry Coyote/Isabel y el coyote habriento

by Keith Polette (Author), Esther Szegedy (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Raven Tree Press (2009)

Source of book: Publisher

What to expect: Retelling of the classic tale, Little Red Riding Hood

Isabel and the Hungry Coyote is an inventive retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Set in the American Southwest, Isabel is on her way to her grandmother’s adobe house with a basket full of tamales and hot chilies when she bumps into a coyote. The coyote strikes up a conversation with little Isabel and formulates a plan – he’ll outrun her to her grandmother’s house and then eat them both! Hi-jinks ensue!

Add this book to your collection: Isabel and the Hungry Coyote/Isabel y el coyote habriento

Moon Over the Mountain/Luna Sobre la Montana

by Keith Polette (Author), Michael Kress-Russick (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 31 pages

Publisher: Raven Tree Press (2009)

Source of book: Publisher

What to expect: Retelling of a traditional Asian tale, with Spanish words interspersed in the text

In Moon Over the Mountain, Keith Polette retells the traditional Asian tale of a unhappy stone cutter who is never satisfied with the wishes granted to him. This tale has been transposed to the American Southwest and is made all the more intriguing because it is interspersed with Spanish words. The tale is a moral about finding your place in life and not coveting what others have. The stone cutter sees what others have and wishes to be like them but he finds that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. In the end, he becomes something we didn’t expect but he is happy. The book includes a glossary of terms.

Add this book to your collection: Moon Over the Mountain/Luna Sobre la Montana

The Adventures of Marco Flamingo Under the Sea

by Sheila Jarkins

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Raven Tree Press (2009)

Source of book: Publisher

What to expect: Sea creatures, fun in the ocean

In this installment of the Marco Flamingo books, Marco decides to explore the ocean. His flamingo friends think he’s a little loopy but he always manages to surprise them (and the reader)! This is a fun tale with simple but heartwarming illustrations about a flamingo that makes many new sea-faring friends. The story is simultaneously translated in Spanish so readers can choose to read in either language.

Add this book to your collection: The Adventures of Marco Flamingo Under the Sea

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

A Walk With Grandpa

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

Publisher’s synopsis: “Daniela and her grandpa take a walk in the woods and share what they mean to each other.”

A Walk With Grandpa is a new bilingual book just out from Raven Tree Press. The publishers pride themselves on producing books with simple, sweet stories that keep their sentimentality and kind message in both the English original and Spanish translation. This book tells of the special bond between a grandfather and his granddaughter and the fun they have while taking a walk in the woods. The simple text appears in English and Spanish on each page and is complemented by illustrations in rich, vibrant colors. It’s a perfect gift for Father’s Day!

Add this book to your collection: A Walk With Grandpa

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Author Showcase: A place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works.*

A Gift for Baby

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.

The book provides support and reassurance for attachment parents, and their children, in a world that so often ignores the critical needs of babies and young children. Aside from the message, it is also an intriguing picture book for children. The story presents a mystery (What is in the big box?) and has a surprise ending. As one mother wrote, her daughter “keeps bringing A Gift for Baby to us, wanting to read it with us. At other times she picks it up on her own and enjoys looking through it with great interest.”

The book includes Spanish and English text on each page, which is helpful for bilingual families and for those who are learning a second language.

The book has been approved by La Leche League and Attachment Parenting International.

For more information and to order the book, please visit  http://www.naturalchild.org/gift_for_baby/ (click on “Look inside” to view five sample pages.)

Jan Hunt, M.Sc., Director
Natural Child Project
http://www.naturalchild.org

*Titles featured in the Author Showcase have not been reviewed by The Children’s Book Review, and reflect the thoughts of the author, illustrator, or publishing company.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Author Showcase: A place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works.*

The Wuffle

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.

The work is skillfully illustrated by Ian Crittenden and the creature created by Mr. Walton comes to life, exhibiting the innocence of a child in his expressions and reactions. Originally self-published as an English work only, The Wuffle is now being issued under the newly established brand, Walton Publishing Group, and as a dual language edition with both English and Simplified Chinese. The English wording appears directly over the Simplified Chinese wording on each page that faces the vivid and colorful imagery that clearly illustrates that scene.

Children that enjoy The Wuffle and wish that the story would continue after his discovery will be pleased to discover that will indeed be the case. The Wuffle merely introduces this creature to the world and he will appear in tales of further adventures such as The Wuffle: A Walk In The Woods and The Wuffle: Beyond The Forest.

(ISBN# 978-0-9824048-4-3) (LCCN# 2009902481)

*Titles featured in the Author Showcase have not been reviewed by The Children’s Book Review, and reflect the thoughts of the author, illustrator, or publishing company.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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.

Snow White/Blancanieves

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.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.