Spanish Books for Grandchildren
Share your heritage or learn about another language
There’s nothing like a good read. These reviews point you to just the thing. Try Spanish if you’re adventuresome, have kids with Latin heritage or want to learn.
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Feliz Cumpleanos - Tengo Uno by Matteo Faglia/illustrated by Luana Rinaldo. Published by Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 2001. ISBN 1-933605-14-6. 10 pages. $6.95. Board book. Spanish.
Intended for three to five year olds, this adorable little story held the attention of my six-month-old grandson with no problem. Full of primary colors and simple single-object illustrations, the book is eye candy. Reading time is only a couple of minutes, even going nice and slow. It's fun to point out cake, bunny rabbits and candles while your grandchild interacts with you. The illustrations are engaging, the text simple. There's space for your grandchild to include his birth date, pictures of her last party, and a list of presents received. The pages are thick, pleasingly slick to the touch, and have rounded corners so nobody gets poked. I was disappointed by the binding - with normal wear and tear, it probably won't last through a second child's toddlerhood.
Apolo - written and illustrated by Caroline Gregoire. Published by Kane/Miller Book Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-933605-20-01. $6.95. Trade cover. Spanish.
Apolo, a long brown daschund, is bound to tickle the funny bone of any child or adult. Gregoire must write with a twinkle in her eye, and her illustrations are as perky as can be. Her goal here is to sell the reader on what an adorable and lovable hound Apolo is - and how different from other dogs. She makes effective use of his wiener dog characteristics and personality. I'd place the text at skilled-beginner or intermediate Spanish. The color scheme components are nicely saturated red, green, brown and yellow. There's a wonderful graphic feel to the drawings. As far as structure, the binding is average, the page size is elongated to enhance Apolo's shape, and the paper quality is appropriate. Not a keep-it-forever-book, Apolo is a terrific excuse for a few quiet moments of cuddling with your pre-schoolers.
Benny by Sieb Posthuma. Published by Kane/Miller Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-933605-21-9. $7.95. Soft cover. Spanish.
"Benny no puede encontrar su hueso," the story opens. Benny can't find his bone. Terrible predicament for a little white dog, or for any dog, come to think of it. But Benny's problem gets worse. Posthuma's plot is a mystery appropriate and appealing to preschoolers and their grandparents. Believe it or not, it's a page turner. I found myself chuckling as I read it aloud, eager to find out why the bone disappeared. Benny sniffs everywhere, but can't find it. Soon, you and your alert grandchild will figure out what happened. The language is advanced-beginner Spanish with a nice amount of vocabulary to learn. A good book for experienced early readers in Spanish. The drawings reminded me of Mr. Peabody and Sherman from Rocky and Bullwinkle. I felt compelled to look for amusing details like a portrait of the daddy dog on a living room wall. Structurally, it's an average book - nothing unusual or remarkable here. But the story and the overall experience was my favorite of the group.
Suerte - El Mejor Amigo de un Perro - by Gus Clarke. Published by Kane/Miller Book Publishing, 2006. $4.95. Soft cover. Spanish.
Suerte, ("Lucky" in English) is a dog who lives at a really cool shelter. The canines are happy and well treated there, but of course they all want a home. Suerte helps his best friend, Bernardo, become a more appealing dog -- by teaching him to smile. Bernardo finds a home, but Lucky isn't sure he'll have the same, well...luck. I enjoyed the illustrations more than I did the story, though there's nothing awfully wrong with the book. The pictures are large, simple line drawings filled with color. They caught my little grandson's eye and kept him interested for a long time. One of the best things about this story is that the people in it are diversified and unusual. No stick figures. You'll find social lessons to talk about as you turn the pages. Thinking about and discussing people's similarities and differences is important and it's never too early to start. You know, it's nice, too, to find a reasonably priced picture book. Also available in English, called Lucky.
More:
Spanish Dictionary in case you need some help.
Enchanted Learning's Dual Language pages.
Kane/Miller's Web site for more on kids' books.
More of my reviews of grandparent-friendly books.
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