  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2016 “Marta is una niña . . . an ordinary girl.” An ordinary girl, that is, who hangs out in a tree house in a very tidy little jungle with an elephant, lion, turtle, horse, and other fauna that don’t normally share turf so amicably. For Marta, everything is relative: “To a lion, Marta is tranquila. Quiet, very quiet”; however, “To a rabbit, Marta is ruidosa. Loud, very loud.” She’s more slow (lenta) than a horse, but compared to a turtle she is fast (rápida); next to a bug she is big (grande), but she’s small (pequeña) in contrast to an elephant. Suddenly the comparisons take a darker turn: “To a snake, Marta is sabrosa. Tasty, very tasty.” Fortunately, Marta is ingeniosa and outwits the predator with a pineapple. Arena supplies a coda in which the highlighted Spanish adjectives are now rendered in English, while the animal names appear in Spanish: “Marta is loud like el leon, quiet like el conejo.” Dominguez’ energetic paintings, with figures outlined in black and a generous amount of white background (for a very airy “jungle” setting), will show to good effect in group sharing. This will be an ideal choice for bilingual storytimes, with Spanish and English speakers enjoying equal opportunity to chime in on repetitions and predictions. A glossary is included, but no pronunciation guide-but no worries. The internet or the audience will take care of that. EB - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 08/01/2016 PreS-Gr 1—Young readers are introduced to the Spanish words for some opposites and animals by Marta, a very clever niña. Arena uses the Spanish word within the English text and then proceeds to use the word again, this time in English, thereby making the meaning clear. For instance, "To a bug, Marta is grande. Big, very big." The Spanish word is always highlighted in orange. Dominguez's artwork provides pictorial reinforcement. Changes in perspective emphasize and help visualize the different opposites. Standing out against a white background, Dominguez's illustrations, done with colored pencils and bold outlines with an earthy palette of mainly browns and greens, introduce humor to what could otherwise be a dry book. There is even a little tension when Marta meets a serpent: "To a snake, Marta is sabrosa." On the spread that follows, there are three words and a picture of a snake: "Tasty, very tasty…." The snake encounter is also used as the moment to present the Spanish names of all the animals Marta came across. At the end there is a list of all the Spanish words and their English counterparts, but there is no pronunciation guide. VERDICT A cross between a concept book and a word book, this is a fun read-aloud to use anytime or in a bilingual storytime program.—Lucia Acosta, Children's Literature Specialist, NJ - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 07/01/2016 An energetic and smiling Marta bounces through an imaginary zoo full of creatures and offers an entertaining lesson on contrasts and comparisons. Relative to a bug, “Marta is grande. Big, very big.” But compared to an elephant, “Marta is pequeña. Small, very small.” Each well-designed page spread makes excellent use of white space in order to showcase Dominguez’s playful arrangement and highlight a single comparison, written in rhythmic, straightforward lines. Spanish words are called out in a different color, and the expressive illustrations offer visual context clues in addition to Arena’s literal translations for non-Spanish speakers. After a fun twist at the climax, a double-page spread features more comparisons, this time with the animal names in Spanish—“quiet like el conejo, fast like el caballo,” and so on. Arena’s clever, catchy text might invite some play-acting games, and the lively energy of her informative words is well matched by Dominguez’s friendly, dynamic creatures in an earth-toned palette. This handy introduction to Spanish vocabulary is perfect for animal-lovers of all stripes. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
 |