Children's Picture Book with Spanish words Archives -

Picture Book Review by Tracy C. Gold – If Your Babysitter is a Bruja

September 13, 2022
goodreadswithronna
Action & Adventure, Ages 4-8, Children's Book Reviews, Foreign Language learning, Guest Blogger, Guest Post, Halloween, Holidays & Celebrations, Juvenile Fiction, Spanish, Spanish Language, Witches & Witchcraft

IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA

Written by Ana Siqueira

Illustrated by Irena Freitas

(Simon & Schuster BYR; $18.99, Ages: 4-8)

REVIEW:

If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja starts as a spooky Halloween tale and then develops layers as it goes on. Written in second person, If Your Babysitter Is a Brujachronicles how a child is scared of her babysitter. Clever illustrations by Irena Freitas show how a terrifying “bubbling cauldron” is actually a bathtub, a magic broomstick is a bicycle, and a slide is a magic castle. A clever scene showing the babysitter’s hat in a pile of water worries the child that her babysitter has melted, but the babysitter lives on … with delicious Pan de Muerto to ease the relationship.

Bruja int spread pg9 bate bate chocolate — Interior spread from If Your Babysitter is a Bruja written by Ana Siqueira and illustrated by Irena Freitas, Simon & Schuster BYR ©2022.

From there, the babysitter and child become BFFs (or perhaps best brujas), and the night ends with the child looking out the window, sad the babysitter has left. This book will be perfect for kids anxious about being left with a babysitter or for those who are shy about making friends with new people. Certainly, that is something many families will struggle with following lengthy Covid lockdowns.

Bruja int spread pg19 Cocodrilos — Interior art from If Your Babysitter is a Bruja written by Ana Siqueira and illustrated by Irena Freitas, Simon & Schuster BYR ©2022.

Ana Siqueira’s rhythmic text smoothly incorporates Spanish words and intertwines cultures with tasty treats from Dia de Los Muertos combined with Halloween decorations. The illustrations are quirky and sweet.

Review by Tracy C. Gold

ORDER COPIES:

For signed copies –

https://www.portkeybooks.com/

https://tombolobooks.com/

FOLLOW THE AUTHOR HERE:

You can learn more about Ana, by following her.

Website: https://anafiction.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SraSiqueira1307

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asiqueira1307/?hl=en

FOLLOW THE ILLUSTRATOR HERE:

You can learn more about Irena by following her.

Website: https://www.irenafreitas.com/

Twitter: @irenafreitas

Instagram: @irenafreitas

FOLLOW THE REVIEWER HERE:

Learn more about Tracy C. Gold, writer, and editor by following her.

Website: tracycgold.comTwitter: @tracycgold

Tracy’s Books: Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby, and Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat

ANA’S OTHER BOOKS:

EL PATO QUIERE UVAS

Order here: Teacher’s Discovery 2019

BELLA’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS –

Order here: Beaming Books- July 2021

Round is a Tortilla by Roseanne Greenfield Thong

January 24, 2014
goodreadswithronna
Ages 3-5, Beginner Spanish, Children's Book Reviews, Juvenile Fiction, Multicultural stories, Shapes & Colors

Roseanne Greenfield Thong's Round is a Tortilla book cover — Round is a Tortilla, A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Greenfield Thong with illustrations by John Parra, Chronicle Books, 2013.

Round is a Tortilla, A Book of Shapes (Chronicle Books, $16.99, Ages 3-5) by Roseanne Greenfield Thong with illustrations by John Parra, is reviewed by Ronna Mandel.

Round is a Tortilla has been chosen for the 2013-14 Macy’s Multicultural Collection of Children’s Literature!

A great way for preschoolers to begin learning a foreign language is with picture books. They introduce new words in a simple, straightforward way making them fun to read with a parent and easy to remember, especially when presented in rhyme and coupled with shapes or colors. SoCal author Roseanne Greenfield Thong has done that so well with her picture books that she’s now written four in the series: Round is a Mooncake, Round is a Tortilla, Red is a Dragon, and the forthcoming Green is a Chile Pepper.

Thong does an impressive job incorporating circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, ovals and stars into scenes of daily life that could be here in the States or anywhere in Central America, places where Thong’s lived and taught English. Parra’s bright, cheerful, folksy illustrations complement every stanza making Round is a Tortilla an uplifting read-aloud.

“Rectangles are carts
with bells that chime
and cold paletas
in summertime.”

Paletas are ice pops and a little girl and boy character are about to enjoy them before they melt. They’re muy trio and muy delicious and writing about them just makes me want a cold and delicious popsicle, too! For triangles Thong’s described “Sandias (watermelon) chilled in tubs of ice, quesadillas by the slice …” She’s managed to rhyme what could have been difficult words, but everything flows beautifully. Some of the words in Round is a Tortilla are: abuela, campanas, huevos, masa and many more. Before moving onto the next shape, Thong always asks a question, “Square is a fountain from long ago. How many square things do you know?” so that parents or caregivers and children can discuss what’s been read, perhaps making a game out of searching for all the different shapes in the book, and maybe even in a child’s bedroom. A helpful glossary of all the Spanish words in the book is included at the end. I’m ready to learn colors now with Green is a Chile Pepper, the next book in the series which also happens to be just my speed.

RECOGNITION FOR ROUND IS A TORTILLA

Macy’s Multicultural Collection of Children’s Literature List, 2014 (Round is a Tortilla)

Georgia Book Award Nominee, 2013

Texas Library Association’s 2 x 2 List for 2014 (Round is a Tortilla)