HELLO, FRIEND / HOLA, AMIGO

One half of the Latin Grammy–winning music duo 123 Andrés and Pura Belpré honoree Palacios team up in this bilingual (Spanish/English) book on friendship.

Presenting two versions of the same song—one in English and one in Spanish—by 123 Andrés, the book has been designed so it can be read just in English or just in Spanish—and, for some lucky ones, in both languages. The two versions are not meant to be exact translations of each other, but the sentiment is the same: “It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing wrong, / we can all get along. // Tú y yo podemos llevarnos bien. / No hay nada que temer.” As the book opens, three children can be seen: one walking a dog, one playing the guitar, and one playing a trumpet. Bit by bit, more and more children join in until a large group representing different cultures, ethnicities, and physical abilities is gathered together. The sweet, never saccharine text tells children that friendships are possible no matter where they’re from or what language they speak, ending with an upbeat: “Hello, friend, tell me your name. // Hola amigo, ¿Cómo te llamas?” Though the book reads well simply spoken, readers intrigued enough to want to sing it can easily find the music with a quick internet search.

A nice addition to the bilingual musical shelf.