My Big Barefoot Book of Spanish & English Words

September 29, 2014
Inviting acrylic-and-pencil cartoons introduce more than 700 words within the context of such familiar environments as a park, library, and market. A spread featuring the people and businesses on a busy street precedes one devoted to various professions: “Sam wants to be a chef. What do you want to be when you grow up?” Tiny portraits of dozens of workers include a bus driver, artist, reporter, and arborist. Later, the park scene leads to an overview of emotions: “Everyone in the park looks happy and relaxed. How do you think these children feel?” A friendly and diverse cast of characters helps create a book with broad appeal, as well as plentiful whimsical details to examine. Ages 2–6.

March 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-With a slight one-sentence-per-page narrative to guide readers, this bilingual word book chronicles the daily activities of the Familia Palabra and the laudably diverse residents in their community. This story is virtually identical to Fatus's My Barefoot Book of Wonderful Words (Barefoot Bks., 2014) with the exception of some minor changes and the addition of Spanish vocabulary. In this incarnation, Zanzibar the cat becomes Paco and Crunchy the croc morphs into Fresco. The bright, whimsical illustrations are the same, though a few of the individual characters have been repurposed. For example, the paperboy from Wonderful Words becomes the bike messenger in this title. In addition, items identified in the previous edition are unlabeled here-the book in braille and the origami projects depicted in the library scene. Some of the Spanish terms are not as common in Latin America as in the case of cesta de picnic being used instead of the more familiar canasta de picnic. But what makes this, and other similar word-building books, less than ideal is the fact that phonetic spellings are not included to facilitate the acquisition of a bilingual vocabulary. A monolingual English-speaking child will see the word alcantarilla (defined as "manhole" in the text, but is actually a storm drain) and probably anglicize it-al-can-ta-ril-la-instead of using the correct pronunciation: ahl-cahn-tah-REE-yah. A monolingual Spanish-speaking child would conversely see manhole and try pronouncing it mahn-hoh-leh. VERDICT When employed in conjunction with competent bilingual teachers, this book can enrich language lessons and help promote multicultural diversity awareness.-Mary Margaret Mercado, Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2016
This bilingual pictorial word book follows a family from morning to evening as it introduces words and a few sentences. The book starts as the morning starts. Readers see a cross section of a house, with various locales and objects labeled in both English and Spanish. As the children get dressed, words related to clothing are presented. Bit by bit, other activities occur and become the basis for more vocabulary: food, city sites, professions, the library, the market, games, feelings, vehicles, weather. Eventually the day winds down, and the children go to bed: "Felices suenos! / ... / Night night! Sleep tight!" The illustrations include people, clothing, food, and housing from different cultures (alas, this book replicates the common misstep of housing indigenous Arctic peoples in an igloo and American Indians in a tepee). Readers see women in jobs such as a construction worker, a farmer, and an astronaut; and characters using a wheelchair, crutches, or wearing an eye patch. All of this adds up to an inclusive, mostly real worldview. The book is best suited for readers familiar with both English and Spanish who are searching for particular vocabulary words. This familiarity is needed, as there is no pronunciation guide. It is not a language-learning tool as, except for some adjectives related to feelings, only nouns are presented. Readers also need to be aware that some flexibility is necessary, as not all words are universally used throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Use as a picture dictionary in households that are already bilingual. (Informational picture book. 5-10)

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July 1, 2016
This bilingual edition includes Spanish text alongside the original English. The cheerily packed spreads ( la Richard Scarry) focus on a mixed-race family (and pet alligator) going about the day in a bustling, refreshingly diverse neighborhood. Most word choices are familiar, with some unconventional terms (e.g., "hearing aid loop sign"; "geodesic dome") making appearances.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)