WHO AM I?

Six rhymes and six flaps introduce six animals by their Spanish names: gato, perro, pájaro, ratón, conejo, and ardilla (cat, dog, bird, mouse, rabbit, and squirrel).

On the left-hand page of each spread, one rhyming couplet and the first line of a second describe common behavior and characteristics of an animal. On the recto, a declarative statement printed on a flap offers a bit more description. Lift the flap to see the animal and to complete the rhyme with the animal’s name in Spanish; an English translation appears below. For example, on the left: “I wag my tail, then leap and bark / and run with you out in the park. / I jump and catch the balls you throw.” Then on the right: “I am your frisky brown [lift the flap] perro. // Perro means dog.” The final spread presents all six animals with their Spanish names and phonetic pronunciations. Sanchez’s illustrations are simple cartoon drawings decorated with visual clues to the animal being described (balls of yarn and paw prints for the cat, bones, chew toys, and balls for the dog, etc.). Similarly, each flap is shaped like an item associated with that animal (cheese for the mouse, a carrot for the rabbit). This very elementary introduction to some child-friendly vocabulary is the first in a planned series of Let’s Learn Spanish books for very young children.

A lightweight way to familiarize English-speaking youngsters with a few simple Spanish words.