WHAT AM I?

With rhyming text and flaps to lift, little ones are introduced to six Spanish words related to things that go.

Each double-page spread introduces a vehicle, six in all: tren (train); camión (truck); carro (car); barco (boat); avión (airplane); and metro (subway). The left-hand page gives the clues: “CLICKETY-CLACK, / CLICKETY- CLACK. / You hear it racing / down the track. / It takes you far, / then home again.” The recto has a flap with: “ALL ABOARD! / Come ride the,” and when little hands lift the flap they will find that (hopefully) yes! They were right: It’s a train. The trick here is that the word is presented in Spanish—“tren”—and is then defined underneath in smaller print: “Tren means train.” The other five words are presented in the same manner. The cartoon illustrations in the margins around the stanza on verso also give clues about the hidden vehicle, such as tracks and a whistle for the train, or a rear-view mirror, a steering wheel, and traffic lights for the car. The last spread presents the six vehicles with their names and a pronunciation guide. Non–Spanish-speaking adults should be aware that not all Spanish speakers refer to these vehicles by the same names, though all of the words here are correct.

A simple and entertaining Spanish word-builder for English-speaking youngsters.