There are those who believe not speaking the same language is a barrier. All those individuals need to do is enter a gathering of children in a classroom, a library, cultural center or other meeting place to understand the error of this logic. Children find a way to communicate. They listen and watch with intention.
Without fail they appreciate the musicality of hearing a language other than their own spoken aloud. They find joy in knowing the meaning of one or more words. How Are You? Como estas? (Henry Holt And Company, March 13, 2018) written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez marks the return of two giraffes introduced to readers in How Do You Say? Como se dice? (Henry Holt And Company, November 8, 2016). These giraffes saw the value of friendship regardless of the language they spoke. Now a new bird is listening to their words.
Welcome! Bienvenida!
The two giraffes have issued a greeting to the ostrich, which looks straight at readers with a perplexed expression. They next ask the bird about its current emotional state. It's unable to reply before they continue with their questions.
With one giraffe speaking Spanish and the other speaking English, they want to know how this creature feels. Is it shy? No. Is it hungry? No. Why does this bird seem to be in no particular state of mind?
After making several other queries, they repeat their original question. Finally the ostrich can tell them the truth without interruption. It quickly prompts another query from the giraffes.
The ostrich can hardly stand still as it answers. Neither can the giraffes. Merriment fills the air. There is only one thing left to do. The trio does it with great celebration.
As a friend or an individual desiring to be a friend, it's essential to place the well-being of the other first. This concern or caring shows a commitment to the relationship. This is why the giraffes ask so many questions. Angela Dominguezacquaints us with words used to define an individual's current mood based on feelings often portrayed by the intended audience. When we are quiet it might be due to shyness, hunger, fright or tiredness.
The gentle humor present throughout this book is evident on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case. The ostrich is looking at readers as if to say, "Who is this giraffe?" "Does he want to be my friend?" "I'm not exactly sure how I am at this moment." To the left, on the back, on a canvas of white the conclusion of the story is revealed. It's when we know how everyone is feeling.
On the opening and closing endpapers Angela Dominguez has placed three rows of circles on the left and on the right. In an alternating pattern, the head of the ostrich appears twice in one row and once in the next row. The colors of purple, blue and green are used as light and darker pastels.
On the verso page at the bottom left one of the giraffes is speaking. At the top all we see are four giraffe legs. To the right on the title page the ostrich is stepping into view. With each page turn the giraffes and the ostrich are placed expertly to provide pacing in combination with the phrases and single word replies.
Their expressions and where they are, especially the giraffes, convey the emotional inquiry. For shy one of the giraffes is attempting to hide behind a rock. For tired one of them is completely flat on the ground. In contrast the ostrich is casually standing until the end. Throughout the conversations you can't help but feel this is building to something wonderful. All three of the characters are happy.
One of my favorite illustrations of many is when the giraffes ask the ostrich
Annoyed? Irritada?
In this image, as on all of them, Angela Dominguez uses white space as an element to draw our attention to the characters. On either side of the gutter she brings us close to first one and then the other giraffe. Their mouths, eyes and eyebrows indicate definite irritation. It is hilarious to see them like this. In the background on the right the ostrich is saying
No.
The sense of calm usually exhibited is momentarily absent.
Children (and children at heart) are going to gravitate toward How Are You? Como estas? written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez as much as they did her first book with the giraffe characters. This bilingual tale is sheer delight to both Spanish and English speaking readers. I recommend again using this for reader's theater. You will want to place a copy in both your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Angela Dominguez and her other work, please follow the links attached to her name to access her websites. You can also follow a link to her blog. Angela maintains an account on Facebook and on Instagram. At the publisher's website you can view several interior pictures.
The award is named after Pura Belpre, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpre Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrate the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
As I have said before, there is hardly a day that goes by when I do not thank my Dad for encouraging me to study the Spanish language from junior high school through college. It opened my eyes to a culture different from my own, enlarging the small world in which I was raised. As an educator working with English speaking children, their enjoyment in hearing another language spoken, regardless if they understand the words, never ends. Perhaps they recognize it for more than it is. It's not just a language but a song of a people.
Two outstanding titles in 2016, both written and illustrated by Latina women, are bilingual. Both women are recipients of multiple Pura Belpre Honor awards for their work. The first 2016 title, How Do You Say? Como se dice? (Henry Holt And Company, November 8, 2016) by Angela Dominguez explores a growing friendship between two individuals who do not speak the same language. It presents simple words and phrases as they share a day together.
Ooh Aaah Food! !Comida!
Snacking on leaves, they share an appreciation for their delectable taste. Then they decide it's time to exchange greetings, informal and more formal. After their nibble fest, their thirst is quenched.
Well, there is nothing better than good food and good drink, so the duo is feeling about as good as they can. They express this freely. It's time now to ask a question. They both give the same answer at the same time!
With growing joy they do what anyone would do. They celebrate! All this activity has drained their energy. Sweet dreams amigos, dulces suenos, friends. Again the giraffes reply identically.
For younger readers of either Spanish or English or for anyone desiring to learn another language, Angela Dominguez has written an utterly charming title. We along with the giraffes are looking at the little, everyday pleasures in life and enjoying them. Single words and short phrases in English on the left and Spanish on the right are punctuated to express emotion.
When you look at the matching dust jacket and book case, besides the display of different languages, you see two happy giraffes on the right and left sides. The back uses one of the interior images when the twosome is at the height of their merriment. The opening and closing endpapers are a close-up of the distinctive giraffes' coat pattern. On the title and verso pages one giraffe is looking up and over at the other which is looking down and over but from the top of the title page.
Angela Dominguez uses liberal amounts of white space as an additional element in her images rendered with pencil and tissue paper on illustration board, then colored digitally. She places her subjects at different points on a page, coming in from varying edges of the pages. Sometimes she brings us close to the giraffes as in when they are joyously talking about food. Or she gives us a larger perspective as in when they are drinking from a pool of water by the tree.
The giraffes, their surrounding area and the text are done in realistic color but then Dominguez brings in purple to heighten the glee. The eyes and mouths convey a full range of moods. At one point their front legs are used to express perfect jubilation.
One of my favorite illustrations is for the word Delicious! !Sabrosa! On either side of the gutter long branches of leaves hang down like a vine and come together toward the bottom. The giraffes on either side have their eyes closed and long tongues extended out to the leaves. They look like gourmets tasting their most beloved dish prepared by a master chef.
Certainly every professional and personal collection will want a copy of How Do You Say? ?Como se dice? written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez. It's a delightful peek at the fun of learning new words and meeting new friends. I can see developing it into a reader's theater.
To learn more about Angela Dominguez and her other work please follow the links attached to her name to access her website and blog. To see four interior illustrations follow this link to the publisher's website. Angela Dominguez has been featured on KidLit TV twice; StoryMakersand Ready Set Draw!Angela Dominguez was one of three illustrators showcased at Latinxs in Kid Lit.
The second book takes us into another world. !Olinguito, de la A a la Z!: Descubriendo el bosque nublado Olinguito, from A to Z!: Unveiling the Cloud Forest (Children's Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., February 15, 2016) written and illustrated by Lulu Delacre is a tribute to the discovery of the olinguito and a stunning presentation of the wonders in this creature's world. Let's travel to the Andes with a zoologist from Washington, DC.
Alto, alla arriba en los Andes High, high up in the Andes
A forest lush and green is colored with bromeliads. It provides a residence for creepers, crawlers, fliers, hoppers and the elusive olinguito. This place is teeming with life; flora and fauna of all shapes, sizes and colors.
Fig and coffee trees grow together. Ginger flourishes flowering alongside rivers. Lizards, tanagers, monkeys, butterflies and moths mingle. Have you ever heard of spectacled bears? They live here too.
A tiny hummingbird pauses as a quetzal watches. The marvelous glass frogs call the cloud forest home. They share this space with toads and salamanders, too. There are tarantulas, tiger cats and blueberry bushes. Yes, blueberry bushes!
After the sun sets and the sky darkens, a full moon rises. The zoologist from Washington DC catches a glimpse of a modern day miracle. He lifts his camera. Click!
For each letter of the alphabet the combination of words penned by Lulu Delacrein Spanishis an alliterative melody. In English the descriptions are lyrical. In both languages the information, as it is presented, takes us deep into the cloud forests examining the residents and their surroundings. We get a real sense of how the experience must have been for those searching for the olinguito. Here are three more combinations of phrases.
brilla un bosque bordado de bromelias...
blooms a brilliant forest embroidered with bromeliads...
y de undivino olinguito, de dia dormidito.
and a dozing olinguito dreaming the day away.
Lagartija sobre liquen, loritos en las lianas y llovizna leve, leve...
A lizard lies on lichen, tanagers line the vines, and the lightest drizzle...
Created using mixed media the illustrative beauty found in this title begins on the matching dust jacket and book case. The olinguito placed in its natural setting framed in the title text is a varnished image on the jacket. A specialized technique on the framing is like the atmosphere found in the cloud forest. To the left, on the back, is a panoramic, bird's eye view of the cloud forest of the Andes. A deep green covers the opening and closing endpapers.
A smaller version of the framing is set in a replica of the back illustration for the title page. This smaller frame becomes the holder for each letter of the alphabet. Each page turn is a single, double-page illustration. Authentic scenes in realistic color replete with details depict the every aspect of this unique space. You expect to hear the sounds of this living, breathing place at any moment
The text is set in a border created with the layering style employed by Delacre. Carefully readers will note the change in the sky from sunrise to moonrise as the narrative moves from A to Z. It's amazing how much we can see in a single day!
One of my favorite illustrations is for the letters K and L. On the left a river slowly swirls past banks full of greenery and kermes-colored ginger blossoms. On the right a branch covered in lichen hangs over the water. A lizard rests on this branch as tanagers gather on vines.
Olinguito, de la A a la Z!: Descubriendo el bosque nublado Olinguito, from A to Z!: Unveiling the Cloud Forest written and illustrated by Lulu Delacre is the best kind of nonfiction with appeal to all readers regardless of their previous knowledge about cloud forests, the olinguito, Spanish and English. So many glorious things about our world can be found in the pages of this book. It will educate, entertain and inspire. At the conclusion Lulu Delacre includes several pages in Spanish and English about the Discovery of the Olinguito, The Cloud Forest, The Illustrations and hints about being an explorer. There are thumbnails of the specific flora and fauna discussed in her narrative along with the scientific names and brief descriptions. There are More Helpful Words and the Author's Sources.
If you desire to learn more about Lulu Delacre and her other work please follow the link attached to her name to access her website. A list of honors and awards already given to this title are listed on a special page along with a teacher's guide. At the publisher's website you can view interior images, access an activity kit, and other STEM resources. Lulu Delacre has been interviewed at Reading Rocketsin a series of videos.
Over the course of the last three hundred, sixty-five days your excitement has become enormous. You've hoped. You've dropped hints discreetly and not so discreetly. The Happy Birthday Song has been sung. The candles on the cake have been blown out and a wish was made again. Now it's time for presents. Will it be there?
This scenario is played out more times every day of the year than can be counted. A determined little girl in One Word from Sophia (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, June 16, 2015) written by Jim Averbeck with illustrations by Yasmeen Ismail is going to leave nothing to chance. Her wish simply has to be fulfilled.
Sophia's birthday was coming up, and she had five things on her mind--- One True Desire and four problems.
Sophia's One True Desire is not what you would expect. It's as extraordinary as she is. She wants a pet, a pet giraffe. Her problems are her family members, a mom, a dad, an uncle and a grandmother. Each has a focus in their lives which Sophia finds appealing.
To her mother, a judge, Sophia lays out the facts in legalese heavily laden with reason. Her final argument involves travel to ballet class complete with a map. Not swayed in the slightest and pointing out a flaw, her mom says no citing her presentation as too lengthy.
Not one to become discouraged, Sophia rallies for problem number two, her dad, the businessman. Making money involving poop complete with a profit graph is sure to get her father's attention. As he points out, Sophia forgot to figure in costs. He comes to an identical conclusion as her mom. Sophia is using too many words.
Her uncle, a politician, is not convinced by her poll of cherished toys nor her chart. When he mentions the word loquacious, she knows she needs to change her tactics. Approaching Grand-mama with resolve, she begins. Her grandmother quickly utters a resounding
"No"
along with, by this time, familiar firm guidance.
Sophia is going to give one last plea to the entire group. Her request is refined and defined by nothing more than a single word. It might also involve kneeling and clasped hands. Is the perfect pet in her future?
In a book titled about one word, Jim Averbeck uses words to great effect. Instead of the word wish, he uses One True Desire. He designates her family as problems, hurdles to be jumped to get the ultimate birthday present. His heart is aligned with his audience.
We cheer for Sophia because of her bubbling assurance in attaining her goal and her clever mind working to her problems' strengths. Her proposals are sincere in every respect making us at the very least smile but at other times laugh out loud. The conversations between Sophia and her mom, dad, uncle and grandmother are appropriately splendid. The introduction of new vocabulary adds to the authenticity and liveliness of the narrative. (A glossary at the end defines the words in simple terms.) Here is a sample passage.
Her proposal was accompanied by a compelling graph showing how much money she would make. "I'm sorry," said Father, "but your business plan is unsound. You failed to count the cost of care and feeding for your manure producer, not to mention the warehousing of poop.
Looking like laughter perched on top of a giraffe, wearing her every-present tutu, Sophia dances into our hearts on the matching dust jacket and book case. On the dust jacket little hands will love to feel the embossed portions of the image. To the left, on the back, an assortment of toys from her room is placed on the page. They further represent her on-the-move personality. The opening endpapers are in giraffe yellow with line drawings in black of Sophia in an assortment of activities and moods. In pure white the closing endpapers feature Sophia riding her new pet on the left pointing at the glossary on the right.
A two-page illustration spans the verso and title page. Striped ribbon frames the visual of Sophia tying a big, big bow on her pooch pal. Rendered in watercolor and colored pencil on a white background the pictures' sizes shift from two pages to a series of small vignettes on several pages. Yasmeen Ismail changes perspective to punctuate the pacing of the story.
The style of the illustrations are altered to depict Sophia's thoughts. They appear as if drawn by a younger person. These contribute to the humor and liveliness of the text. Her portrayal of Sophia is so charming we expect her to leap off the page.
One of my favorite illustrations spreads across two pages. Sophia is standing in front of her shelves speaking to her favorite stuffed toys. She is posed on one foot, like a sprightly ballerina, with a checklist and pencil in her hands. A blue stool and a scattering of toys are spread behind her.
One Word from Sophia written by Jim Averbeck with illustrations by Yasmeen Ismail directs our attention to the power of persuasion and the impact of our word choices. In a completely winsome story with a character you can't help but embrace, you realize the value of less is more especially backed by genuine emotion. You'll want to add this to your must-read-aloud stack.
To discover more about Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. You can view several images from the book at the publisher's website. You can view loads of art at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfasthosted by author and blogger, Julie Danielson, along with a link to her Q & A with Averbeck and Ismail at Kirkus. Enjoy the book trailer.
In a search on birthday traditions I located this video by John Green for Mental Floss.
Without fail they appreciate the musicality of hearing a language other than their own spoken aloud. They find joy in knowing the meaning of one or more words. How Are You? Como estas? (Henry Holt And Company, March 13, 2018) written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez marks the return of two giraffes introduced to readers in How Do You Say? Como se dice? (Henry Holt And Company, November 8, 2016). These giraffes saw the value of friendship regardless of the language they spoke. Now a new bird is listening to their words.
