New Bilingual Explore with Animals Series for PreK

The following is a sponsored book post with NicaGal.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

One of the most frequent requests I get is for elementary teaching materials in Spanish. So many parents  are looking for the materials that will support their children's bilingualism, especially those starting their homeschool journey. Today's post highlights the new bilingual Explore with Animals series from NicaGal.com.

Several years ago, there was the most excellent Spanish-language magazine available for children ages 8 to 12 called Iguana Magazine. The force behind that magazine was the talented Christianne Meneses Jacobs. She created that wonderful resource from scratch and eventually it was purchased by Cricket Magazines. (That's a story for another day.)

Since then, Christianne has been developing her NicaGal line which includes her podcast, Latino Book Chat, and now her bilingual book series for preschoolers.

Bilingual Preschool Skills Books

There is a list of fundamental skills and specific concepts that every preschooler should learn before entering kindergarten. Among these concepts are the ability to recognize numbers 1 through 10 or higher and to identify colors. Many preschoolers also begin learning alphabet recognition in preparation for learning to read in kindergarten. 

NicaGal's new bilingual and Spanish animal-themed books focus on these three concepts and are a wonderful addition to any home library. 

Bilingual & Spanish Book of Colors

These books are absolutely fabulous. Los colores / Colors includes vibrant images that really help to teach young children their colors. And using animals is a great way to engage preschoolers who are fascinated by them. I love the simplicity and focus of the text which directs children to learn.

Parents and children can ask each other additional questions about the images, or point out things that they notice or like. In addition, the back of the book includes a few ideas for easy activities that parents can do with their children that reinforces color recognition. 

This book is available in a bilingual format (shown above), as well as Spanish-only. 

Spanish or English Book of Numbers

123 Animales or 123 Animals is another sweet counting book that helps children learn numbers 1 though 20. Again, they are colorful and simple with two opportunities for children to count: on one page, count the shapes under the text box, and on the other page count the animals. 

This book is available in two formats: English-only and Spanish-only.

Spanish Alphabet Book

And finally, the book ABC Animales, is a fun way to learn the alphabet. Each letter is associated with a type of animal and includes text with a brief description of the animal and some interesting facts about it.  Again, great pictures and a section at the back for additional activities. This particular abecedario is only available in Spanish. 

If you have a bilingual elementary student who is learning many of these concepts or needs some materials to reinforce their learning, consider adding this series from NicaGal to your child's lessons. 

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¡Todos a comer! A Mexican Food Alphabet Book

This is a sponsored book post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It may use affiliate links.

I have a soft spot for abecedarios. I just love books that teach the alphabet to kids... especially when they are bilingual! And today's book has one more bonus: culture. 

¡Todos a comer! A Mexican Food Alphabet Book (aff) is so much fun. It includes one food or dish for each letter of the Spanish alphabet (with the exception of W). The layout of each page consists of a delicious picture with Spanish text on the top and English on the bottom. 

The photos are colorful and feature some of the most popular dishes in Mexican cuisine. There are history lessons embedded in the short descriptions that will give parents additional topics to discuss.

Parents can read to their children or older children can read it on their own. This book makes a great read aloud and I love how it encourages communication between the readers. Each food description ends with a question designed to make young minds think for extended learning.
 

And just for fun, the author has included a picture glossary in the back of the book of Mexican cooking utensils, such as a comal, a cazuela, a molinillo and others.

Families with young children should have a growing collection of books at home to be read over and over to their little ones. And for those with children learning to read, a set of alphabet books - or abecedarios - are a must! They allow children to see how letters are used in different ways and how they make up the basis of our language. Alphabet books develop literacy skills and help prepare children to begin the process of learning to read. So it is imporant to have abecedarios that are fun, colorful, and engaging. ¡Todos a comer! does just that. 

But don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling hungry after you read it!

Book Review: Olinguito, from A to Z!

Olinguito, from A to Z! ~ ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z!

by Lulu Delacre

It's no secret; I love alphabet books. Even though my kids can now read circles around me (not really - but they're lightyears ahead of most kids their age), that doesn't stop me from collecting ABC books. And when it is a bilingual abecedario? Woo! I simply must have it.

This review contains affiliate links.

So when I heard that my friend Lulu was working on an alphabet book, I was (naturally) excited. She is not only a dedicated children's writer, but also one of the most talented artists illustrating children's literature. And her latest book is certainly a visual masterpiece.

Olinguito, from A to Z! ~ ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! (aff) is a rare glimpse into the heart of a cloud forest. We're there on a mission: to help the zookeeper from Washington, D.C. find the elusive olingo. Along the way we discover beautiful treasures. There is a richness to the illustrations that captures the reader. You can read about the whole process of creating the layered illustrations here on Lee & Low's website and here on the author's website.

But it isn't just the artwork that delights me and my family. It is the content. You may remember that my husband and I met when we were both working at a zoo. That was 23 years ago. Since then we have traveled quite a bit to many countries in search of rare animals to photograph, conserve, or research. Imagine my delight to discover that each page of this book is filled with flora and fauna that are unique to cloud forests. Lulu's attention to detail makes this book especially remarkable. You'll find plant and animals that few people in this part of the world have seen in the wild, such as orchids and bromeliads and Collared Inca hummingbirds and Spectacled Bears.

The best part of the book is the full text in both English and Spanish. And it should be obvious to any bilingual speaker that the book was originally written in Spanish and then translated into English. Not that the latter is poor in any way, but simply because the Spanish is so well done.

In my opinion, Olinguito, from A to Z! is a must-have for any home library.

Teachers: this book works well with lessons and unit studies of cloud forests, Ecuador, wildlife, conservation, zoology, animals, Earth Day, science, and nature.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.