Author: Jen Arena
Publication: 2016
Illustration: Angela Dominguez
This book is so cute, I had to do a blog post on it!! Author, Arena, mixes Spanish and English together to make a fun book for kids to read. She says a word in Spanish, but explains what it means in English, so that readers know the definition. The Spanish word is also in orange on every page, so that reader's notice the contrast between it and the English words.
Arena, also plays with opposites here, teaching the reader the difference between big and small, fast and slow, etc. Opposites are key words students will need to learn in Spanish, so this book is a good way to introduce them to children. Since Spanish is one of the most popular languages in the world, I believe it is important for students to learn the language, especially at a young age. The pictures make the book fun as well, so students don't even feel as if they are learning.
One of my favorite parts of the book is how Arena adds a glossary of words at the back of the book. On one page she says "Marta is" and writes adjectives below that describe her. On the next page, the heading is "Marta meets..." and gives nouns and animals that Marta meets throughout the book. This is a good reference to add at the back of the book so that readers can refer to it to learn the Spanish language.
I would like to add more books like this to my class library, so that students can learn other languages than just English. I also think these books are great for English as a Second Language students. Reading these type of books help them figure out the meaning of English words when they have familiar Spanish words throughout the book. Additionally, for students learning the Spanish language, they will benefit from reading this book by comparing the English word to the Spanish.
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