PreS-Gr 1—Young children will delight in the antics of two endearing giraffes in this bilingual picture book. This work makes ample use of white space to help readers focus on the plot, and each page presents just one word or short phrase, first in English and then in Spanish, with a word shared by both on one spread. Initially, an English- and a Spanish-speaking giraffe meander unknowingly toward each other as they eat. "Oooh," says one. "
Aaah," declares the other. "Food!" exclaims one, and "
¡Comida!" shouts the other. However, neither giraffe notices the other until they are eating from the very same tree. Although they speak different languages, the pair find ways to communicate and common interests that make for a joyful day. Considering the limited number of words in the book, readers must pay close attention to its visual clues. Yet its endearing illustrations provide just enough foreshadowing so that very young children, with adult scaffolding, can make predictions about the story.
VERDICT When combined with adult guidance, this small book will be a favorite for repeated, interactive read-alouds given its child-friendly visual appeal and theme of friendship across languages.
Be the first reader to comment.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!