Letters A-Z

Starred review from March 1, 2021

Baby-Toddler-Returning fans of the beloved "Canticos" board books will enjoy these additions, and new readers will discover why this series is award-winning. First 100 Words spotlights words for common and not-so-common animals and items that are found in places like the kitchen, at a party, or in the ocean. Familiar characters, such as the yellow chicks (pollitos) and the little elephant (elefantito), fashion outfits like a mermaid tail and have fun cooking and playing at the beach while readers explore words in English and Spanish. Each spread is vibrantly illustrated, depicting a cartoony scene relevant to the words featured. Letters A to Z also finds the characters exploring different places where they take part in activities, such as playing with toys, eating ice cream, and even visiting space. Each spread is dedicated to a single letter, with the English word and its Spanish translation on the left, and another Spanish word and its English translation on the right. Letters are large in size and easy to spot, which will make this a wonderful choice for babies and toddlers. Young readers and their parents will thoroughly enjoy spotting all the fun activities taking place in these titles, and the colorful and lively illustrations and clear text are sure to make these joyful favorites. VERDICT Highly recommended for all Spanish and bilingual board book collections for children.-Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2020
An extra-fat board book to help babies and toddlers grow up bilingual. On each double-page spread, an English word is paired with an uppercase letter, with the Spanish translation in parentheses below, and a Spanish word is shown along with the lowercase letter, with the English translation included parenthetically. Often the words chosen are related, so "A / for Apple / (Manzana)" is paired with "a / de �rbol / (Tree)." The cheerful illustrations, which feature the cartoon chicks and supporting characters familiar to Canticos fans, often highlight the relationship. So "K / for Knife / (Cuchillo)" and "k / de kiwi / (Kiwi)" is illustrated with a bunny in a chef's toque cutting a kiwi fruit. The word in translation usually does not start with the same letter, but when it does, as with "N / for Next / (Nido)" and "n / de noche / (Night)," it is a happy surprise. Three sounds common to Spanish (Ch, Ll, and �) each get double-page spreads but without an English equivalent. In an author's note Jaramillo explains that Ch and Ll are no longer considered part of the Spanish alphabet, but the sounds are important to the language. There is no pronunciation guide for either language. A good start for learning the ABCs in Spanish or English. (Board book. 1-4)

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