Jaramillo, Susie. Los Pollitos/Little Chickies. illus. by Susie Jaramillo. 11p. (Canticos). Encante Pr. Apr. 2016. Board $14.99. ISBN 9780996995900. BL
Toddler-PreS –An accordion-style board book featuring one of the most well-known Spanish songs for children. In this classic nursery song of the Spanish-speaking world, little chicks go, “!Pio! !pio! !pio!” when they are hungry and when they are cold; mother hen finds food for them and keeps them warm. Snuggled up under her wings, they sleep until the next day. In a clever use of the format—one side is the Spanish version, the other the English adaptation—neither language takes precedence over the other. In a nod to its origin, the English adaptation still has the chicks squealing in Spanish. The simple, brightly colored cartoon-style illustrations, boldly outlined in black, stand out against a white background. With every page turn, there are flaps to open and even a wheel that will send mother hen’s legs spinning off to find food, making it a fully immersive and interactive reading experience. This sturdy volume comes in a case, all the better to hold those accordion pages with. With so many books translating English songs into Spanish, it is a rare treat to have one with an original Spanish song, especially when it is so engagingly done. VERDICT Little ones and their grown-ups will love singing and reading this book together. A perfect choice for bilingual storytimes.
This review was published in the School Library Journal June 2016 issue.We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing