Tigretón and Burrito
Books in Spanish for the Young
Isabel Schon
From delightful board books about lively animals, common objects, enjoyable outings, everyday situations, and spirited dinosaurs, to honest depictions of adoption, racism, and children’s anxieties and fears; from whimsical numbers to heroic Detective LaRue, these books in Spanish are sure to entice young Spanish speakers—and Spanish learners.
Board books
A Tigretón le gusta moverse [Tigretón Likes to Move]. ISBN 84-7864-709-0.
Burrito escucha los ruidos [Burrito Hears Noises]. ISBN 84-7864-710-4.
¿Cómo estás, Pequeño Panda? [How Are You, Little Panda?]. ISBN 84-7864-707-4.
Lolo y Lorito son muy educados [Lolo and Lorito Are Very Well Educated]. ISBN 84-7864-708-2.
All by Marie-Hélène Delval (trans. by Emilia Hernández). Illus. by Thierry Courtin. 2004. Barcelona: Combel (Palabras Menudas). Each is 16 pp. $10.95. Ages 2–4.
Like the previous four titles in this delightful series, these well-constructed board books (originally published by Bayard Jeunesse, Paris) encourage the very young to take note and participate. Tigretón, a lively young tiger, enjoys a day in the park as he splashes, slides, climbs, runs, and swings in A Tigretón le gusta moverse. As Burrito, a busy donkey, cleans the house, he hears the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, boiling water, and even the doorbell in Burrito escucha los ruidos. Little Panda tells when he is feeling happy, surprised, upset, sad, fearful, and proud in ¿Cómo estás, Pequeño Panda? Lolo and Lorito, two friendly parrots, demonstrate their good manners in Lolo y Lorito son muy educados. Caregivers looking for attractive board books with colorful illustrations for toddlers should consider this series.
Los campamentos [Campgrounds]. ISBN 84-246-3835-2.
El circo [The Circus]. ISBN 84-246-3834-4.
El zoológico [The Zoo]. ISBN 84-246-3833-6.
All by Cristina Losantos. 2004–05. Barcelona: La Galera (Espacios). Each is 10 pp. $10.95. Ages 1–4.
In a most appealing manner, these well-constructed, wordless board books depict humorous scenes of families and groups of children going to a campground, a circus, and a zoo. Losantos’s tiny, witty, full-color illustrations will encourage lots of sharing and laughs. In addition, toddlers and caregivers will appreciate the foldout format depicting scenes on one side and clear, simple glossaries with drawings and definite articles on the other side. These are indeed amusing introductions to camping, the circus, and zoo animals for young Spanish speakers and, most definitely, Spanish learners.
Colores en mi casa [Colors in My House] by Kristin Eck. ISBN 1-4042-7588-6.
Opuestos [Opposites] by Kristin Eck. ISBN 1-4042-7586-X.
1 2 3 en mi casa [1 2 3 at Home] by May Harte. ISBN 1-4042-7585-1.
Caritas de bebé [Babies Everywhere] by Orli Zuravicky. ISBN 1-4042-7590-8.
Photog. by Maura B. McConnell and others. 2006. New York: Rosen. Each is 16 pp. $10.75. Ages 1–3.
These strong, attractive board books are the right size and shape (5½ inches square) for the baby and toddler sets. White backgrounds, simple texts, and clear color photographs encourage the young to find specific colors in different rooms of a house (Colores en mi casa); identify opposites (Opuestos); count common objects (1 2 3 en mi casa); and identify babies’ emotions (Caritas de bebé). Unlike the other books in this series, these include the definite articles in the labels, which are certainly needed for all Spanish learners.
¿Cómo cuentan hasta diez los dinosaurios? [How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?]. ISBN 0-439-66201-X.
¿Cómo ordenan sus habitaciones los dinosaurios? [How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?]. ISBN 0-439-66202-8.
Both by Jane Yolen (trans. by Pepe Alvarez-Salas). Illus. by Mark Teague. 2004. New York: Scholastic. 14 pp. $6.99. Ages 1–3.
These amusing, well-constructed board books will certainly encourage the very young to count to 10 (¿Cómo cuentan hasta diez los dinosaurios?) and to pick up their rooms and put away their toys (¿Cómo ordenan sus habitaciones los dinosaurios?) as they delight in Teague’s always spirited dinosaurs. Alvarez-Salas’s rhyming Spanish renditions will especially captivate young Spanish-speaking listeners.
¿Dónde está Gus? [Where Is Gus?] by Daniel Nesquens. Illus. by Elisa Arguilé. ISBN 84-667-4572-6.
Una nube [One Cloud] by Daniel Nesquens. Illus. by Elisa Arguilé. ISBN 84-667-4573-4.
Duerme [Sleep] by Antonia Rodenas. Illus. by Rafael Vivas. ISBN 84-667-4570-X.
Risa de cocodrilos [Crocodile’s Laughter] by Antonia Rodenas. Illus. by Rafael Vivas. ISBN 84-667-4571-8.
All 2005. Madrid: Anaya (Mi Primera Sopa). Each is 16 pp. $9.95. Ages 2–4.
These are not typical board books for the very young. Rather they are sophisticated depictions of everyday situations that adults will enjoy discussing with little ones. In ¿Dónde está Gus? with its avant-garde, dark red and black illustrations, toddler Gus tells about his early morning fears when he can’t find his favorite blanket. The effects of a drop of water that falls from a cloud onto a dog, a cat, and a mouse are depicted in Una nube. A mama wolf, concerned mouse, mama kangaroo, tender bird, and other animals settle their young down to sleep in Duerme. Although crocodile swallows Pato [Duck] Faustino, Faustino knows exactly how to escape in Risa de cocodrilos.
¡No quiero comer! [I Don’t Want to Eat!]. Illus. by Roser Rius. ISBN 84-7864-839-9.
¡No quiero hacer pipí en el orinal! [I Don’t Want to Pee in the Potty!]. Illus. by the author. ISBN 84-7864-840-2.
Both by María Rius. 2004. Barcelona: Combel (Colección Cucú). Each is 18 pp. $9.95. Ages 1–3.
Just right for the very, very young, these well-constructed board books, with bold lines and watercolor illustrations against flat backgrounds, will entice little ones and their parents. In ¡No quiero comer! one-year-old Blanca, who is just learning to feed herself, tells her mother she is not hungry. Mama proceeds to play a game: if Blanca were a rabbit, she would eat a carrot; a duck, lettuce; a kitten, milk; or a monkey, a banana. Finally Blanca empties her bowl. Interestingly, an informative afterword cautions parents to avoid overfeeding their children. In ¡No quiero hacer pipí en el orinal! Raul’s father encourages the toddler to pee in the potty, which Raul angrily refuses to do. Joking, Papa then asks him if he wants to pee like a dog or a cat or a hen or a donkey or a baby. No, Raul is ready to pee in the toilet like his papa. Some adults may be put off by two illustrations: father discreetly using the toilet and Raul openly urinating in the toilet. Most adults, however, will appreciate the tasteful, candid illustrations as well as the straightforward afterword with suggestions for toilet training. Also in this series, ¡No quiero bañarme! [I Don’t Want to Bathe!] and ¡No quiero dormir! [I Don’t Want to Sleep!].
Children’s feelings
¡Hoy lo hace papá! [Papa Will Do It!] by Nadine Brun-Cosme (trans. by Rafael Ros). Illus. by Michel Backe. 2004. Barcelona: Corimbo. 24 pp. ISBN 84-8470-116-6. $15.95. Ages 3–6.
After school Ana, a child fox, is delighted to come home and invite her best friend Julio to visit. But mama fox is in a bad mood and says no to all of Ana’s suggestions. So when Papa comes home, Ana wants only him to help her, including putting her to bed. She tells mama, ¡No, tú no! ¡Esta noche, lo hace papá! [No, not you! Tonight, Papa will do it!]. Hurt, Mama explains to Ana that tonight she is very tired. Ana smiles and happily accepts Mama’s big hug. The bold, colorful illustrations of a fox family at home add a tender touch to this realistic story about family feelings and misunderstandings.
¡Qué horror! [Some Things Are Scary!] by Florence Parry Heide (trans. by Marta Ansón). Illus. by Jules Feiffer. 2004. Barcelona: Serres. 32 pp. ISBN 84-8488-157-1. $12.95. Preschool–grade 2.
This joyous Spanish rendition, which perfectly captures a young child’s anxieties and fears, is made even more real by Jules Feiffer’s exaggerated cartoons done in felt-tip marker and watercolor. From un abrazo de alquien que no te gusta [getting hugged by someone you don’t like] to cuesta abajo, con patines y sin frenos [skating downhill when you haven’t learned how to stop] and other stressful and amusing situations, these scenarios evoke feelings as comically disagreeable as they are heartfelt and ¡Qué horror! [scary]. Young Spanish speakers will identify with these honest depictions, from a child’s viewpoint, of life’s scary moments.
El chupete de Gina [Gina’s Pacifier] by Christine Naumann-Villemin (trans. by Rafael Ros). Illus. by Marianne Barcilon. 2004. Barcelona: Corimbo. 26 pp. ISBN 84-8470-184-0. $15.95. Preschool–kindergarten.
Despite her mama’s concern, Gina absolutely refuses to give up her pacifier—not when she goes on a picnic or swimming; not even in the future, when she gets married. But one day an angry, horrible, hungry wolf threatens Gina, and to calm him, she gives the wolf her pacifier. Of course he becomes sweet and pleasant. When Mama questions her about her pacifier, Gina responds: Se lo he dado a alquien que lo necesitaba mucho más que yo [I’ve given it to someone who needed it more than I]. Barcilon’s pencil and watercolor illustrations add a touch of whimsy that devoted pacifier lovers will completely understand.
¿Me quieres o no me quieres? [Do You or Don’t You Love Me?] by Carl Norac (trans. by Anna Coll-Vinent). Illus. by Claude K. Dubois. 2004. Barcelona: Corimbo. 26 pp. ISBN 84-8470-155-7. $11.95. Preschool–grade 1.
Lola, a hamster child, has a new baby brother. Impatiently she tries to hold him, play with him, and even share her favorite toy with him. But the baby only cries, and Lola interprets this to mean ¡No hay duda que no me quiere! [There is no doubt he doesn’t love me!]. Finally one night Lola approaches him quietly and the baby smiles at her. Lola is happy: Creo que mi hermanito ya me quiere [I think my little brother loves me now]. Tender pencil-and-watercolor illustrations in soft natural colors will reassure children who are experiencing the joys and tribulations of a new sibling. Originally published in Paris by L’École des Loisirs, this simple Spanish rendition is just right for the very young.
Adoption
Llegué de Ucrania [I Came from Ukraine] by Ester Falip and Joan Molet. ISBN 84-246-2046-1.
Llegué de Colombia [I Came from Colombia] by Mònica Montoriol. ISBN 84-246-2044-5.
Llegué de Nepal [I Came from Nepal] by Joan Raventós and Queti Vinyals. ISBN 84-246-2029-1.
All illus. by Luci Gutiérrez. 2005. Barcelona: La Galera (Cuéntame mi Historia). Each is 32 pp. $9.95 paper. Grades 1–3.
Like the previous titles in this series, these books depict the feelings and thoughts of adoptive parents as they describe (from a first-person point of view) the countries of origin of their adopted children. Each book includes bold digital artwork in bright primary colors; a two-page afterword with basic facts about the child’s country of birth; and four pages with simple suggestions to parents about talking to their adopted children. In Llegué de Ucrania a Spanish mother tells about the parents’ trip to Ukraine, where they adopted Helena and Sergio, with highlights about special dishes, balalaika (a musical instrument), and local customs. In Llegué de Colombia another mother tells about Carlos, who was born in Manizales, Colombia, a country of kind people, beautiful weather, and delightful customs. In Llegué de Nepal a happy couple adopts their daughter Ravina in Nepal, where they were received with flowers and visited colorful temples. Despite a few Peninsular Spanish pronouns and conjugations (seríais, sois) in Llegué de Ucrania, young Spanish speakers from the Americas will understand and enjoy these books, which present with honesty positive situations in the adoption process.
Prejudice
Colores que se aman [Colors That Love Each Other] by Paco Abril. Illus. by Anne Decis. 2005. León: Everest. 32 pp. ISBN 84-241-7989-7. $16.95. Kindergarten–grade 2.
Dedicated to Lucrecia Pérez from the Dominican Republic, who was murdered in Spain, and to others who have suffered the hatred of racism, this simply written story depicts fear and love as experienced by Luca, a five-year-old biracial boy. Narrated in the first person, Luca tells about hearing unhappy words outside, a shot, and screams in the street. Then he hears his grandmother’s voice reassuring him. When the screams continue, Luca is ready to cry, but his grandmother, who is White, knows exactly how to make him laugh. With its strong didactic message, easy-to-read text, and eye-catching double-page spreads, this story could be used with young children as a discussion starter about ethnic differences and similarities.
Numbers
Números tragaldabas [Glutton Numbers] by Margarita Robleda. Illus. by Natalia Gurovich. 2003. Mexico: Planeta/Destino. 24 pp. ISBN 970-690-807-2. $13.95. Preschool.
Amusing rhyming text and whimsical illustrations introduce numbers 1 through 20. From a la una . . . cucharadas de luna [at one . . . spoonfuls of moon] and a las dos . . . les encanta el arroz [at two . . . they love rice] to a las veinte . . . muy feliz se siente [at 20 . . . he feels very happy], these números tragaldabas will appeal to beginning readers and playful listeners and viewers.
¿Sabes contar hasta un googol? [Can You Count to a Googol?] by Robert E. Wells (trans. by Lilian Weikert). 2004. Barcelona: Juventud. 32 pp. ISBN 82-261-3361-4. $16.95. Grades 2–4.
Wells introduces the concepts of large numbers up to a googol (1 followed by 100 zeroes) and of multiples of 10, using humorous, colorful, ink-and-acrylic cartoons and simple explanations. From a girl balancing one banana on her nose to a monkey balancing 10, from 100 eagles pulling a basket of children to 1,000 scoops of ice cream and on to a googol, children are reminded that numbers go on forever because siempre puedes añadirle un cero [you can always add a zero]. Some mathematicians may question the simple notion of just adding zeros (instead of multiplying by 10), but this enjoyable Spanish rendition is an understandable depiction of large numbers.
Just for fun
Detective LaRue: Cartas de la investigación (Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation) by Mark Teague (trans. by Juan Pablo Lombana). 2005. New York: Scholastic. 32 pp. ISBN 0-439-76070-4. $6.99 paper. Kindergarten–grade 3.
As in its predecessor, Querida Sra. LaRue (Dear Mrs. LaRue), Ike, the misunderstood dog, faces an unfair accusation. Although Señora Ondino’s cats mysteriously disappear and Ike is captured with the golosinas sorprendentemente deliciosas [deliciously surprising treats], he manages to prove his innocence and become a hero. Lombana’s tongue-in-cheek Spanish rendition is as amusing as Teague’s oversize, acrylic illustrations of the self-assured dog who takes matters into his own pezuñas [paws].
To learn about more high-quality books in Spanish for children and adolescents, go to the Recommended Books section on the Web site of the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, www.csusm.edu/csb.
Isabel Schon, PhD, is director and founding faculty of the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents at California State University—San Marcos. She is the author of numerous books and articles on literature for Latino and Spanish-speaking children and adolescents.
Copyright © 2006 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at http://www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp.
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