THE BIRTHDAY BOOK / LAS MAÑANITAS

The traditional song sung for birthdays in Mexico is presented with an American twist at the end.

In this new addition to the Canticos series, Jaramillo has kept to her successful concertina format. The book can be read in Spanish on one side and in English on the other. When someone is celebrating their birthday in Mexico, they are traditionally greeted with “Las mañanitas.” According to the song, this was the way that King David greeted the morning, and because it is your birthday we will sing it to you. This bilingual presentation of the song remains faithful to the original in Spanish but has taken a few liberties with the English translation to accommodate for rhyme and meter, always a fine line to walk when translating a song. In both languages the song segues right into the American song traditionally sung at birthday times, the newly copyright-free “Happy Birthday.” Young children will find a few flaps to open—such as a window that, when lifted, reveals a rooster crowing at daybreak—that will add to their delight. In the “Happy Birthday” part there is a blank banner in which the name of the birthday child can be inscribed.

Not quite as successful as the previous entries but still a charming addition to the series.