Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
www.barronseduc.com
250 Wireless Blvd.
Hauppauge, NY 11788
800-645-3476
These are primary-level, read-aloud Spanish books for Spanish-speaking children. Both books are interactive--while the parent reads aloud to the young child, the young child moves the flaps on the pages to reveal the answers to the questions.
Cucú--¡Te Veo! (meaning "Cucú-I See You") is about farm animals. One part reads, "¡Muu, Muu! ¿Quién soy?" (meaning "Moo, moo! Who am I?"). As the parent read this, the child pulls down the flap to reveal the face of the cow and the words "Soy la vaca" (meaning "I am the cow!"). It is the same in the book Cucú-¡Te Veo! En la Selva (meaning "Cucú-I See You: In the Forest, or Jungle). There are no English translations; even the copyright information is in Spanish. I suspect these books are intended for Spanish-speaking families, but they are primary enough to be used for students learning Spanish.
PROS:
The pictures are cute and friendly. The storyline is easy for young children to understand and participate in. These books are great for Spanish- or English-speaking children.
CONS:
The flaps that cover the animals' faces fall off easily and have to be re-glued onto the pages. Three of the flaps fell off during the first two readings of the books. Also, although I might be being picky with this one, some of the animals that are in the "forest/jungle" book aren't found in the forest or jungle. The lion, zebra, and elephant are found on the savanna.
Overall, after we re-glued the flaps, my English-speaking children have enjoyed being able to name the animals in Spanish. These books are cute, simple, and educational.
Product review by Carissa Ruiz, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, June 2007
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