Category Archives: .Bilingual

April 30, 2012 · 1:12 pm

Birdie Flies Away | Pararillo se va volando by Kat Aragon, illustrated by Andrea Yomtob

Billed as “the nation’s only bilingual children’s book publisher dedicated to Parent Involvement,” Lectura Books is actively working to change some startling statistics: One in four children under age 5 is Hispanic/Latino, but according to the Department of Education, whose who identify as Hispanic or Latino have the lowest educational attainment in the United States.

Literacy, of course, is paramount to easing the path to achievement, and the folks at Lectura Books are well aware that both parents and children need to be working together. To encourage generational involvement, Lectura presents five new titles in May (tomorrow, already!), that offer easy-to-read stories in both English and Spanish on the same page. “Reading bilingual books is one of the most effective ways to acquire transferable literacy skills,” explains Lectura publisher Katherine Del Monte on the company’s website. “Bilingual books are a win-win situation for parents, children and schools.”

Of the upcoming new titles, Birdie Flies Away, is a personal favorite for its adorable story of can-do independence, regardless of size, but even more so because of its enchanting illustrations by Andrea Yomtob. A little girl keeps a regular watch on a family of birds from her window – Mama, Papa, and their four babies. As each of the little birds grow, one by one, they set out to test their wings … but always come back to the nest. Only baby Birdie stays nest-bound, perfectly happy to remain warm and coddled. But even he eventually will make the great leap …

Yomtob distinguishes each of the birds with unique little details – from feather-bows to tiny little spectacles, to a ladybug buddy who never goes far. Mama and Papa are delightfully comical, perched on the branch together, ready with maps and binoculars literally searching high and low for their avian offspring. Kudos indeed to Yomtob for creating such birdie personalities that jump off the page, making the reading adventure that much more entertaining.

One tiny detail that needs correcting: page 22 has a typo in ‘binoculars,’ but hopefully many editions are in the publisher’s future, so an easy fix should be forthcoming.

Readers: Children

Published: 2012

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September 8, 2011 · 9:34 am

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match | Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown, illustrated by Sara Palacios, Spanish translation by Adriana Dominguez

With prolonged bleak skies across the East Coast thanks to Katia, Lee, and incoming Nate (not to mention recovery from Irene), Marisol McDonald is one brilliant, rambunctious, delightful diversion.

“My name is Marisol McDonald, and I don’t match,” the flame-haired, brown-skinned, fearless, Peruvian Scottish American little girl announces. Her brother points out how her clothes clash, but Marisol loves wearing her green polka dots and purple stripes together. She prefers peanut butter and jelly burritos, and she’s proud to speak Spanish, English, and sometimes both at the same time. When her friends can’t agree on playing pirates or playing soccer, Marisol suggests “soccer-playing pirates,” but her friends seems to lack her limitless imagination.

When her buddy Ollie challenges her with “‘Marisol, you couldn’t match if you wanted to!’” Marisol’s response is something akin to ‘bring it on.’ The next day, she dons an all-orange ensemble, plays pirates at recess (grumbling about why pirates can’t play soccer, too), eats her peanut butter and jelly on mushy bread, and even does some “boring” art. Noticing Marisol’s less-than-sparkling-self, her teacher hands Marisol a special note reminding her that she’s “simply marvelous” just the way she is. She also signs her full name: Ms. Tamiko Apple. Hapas unite!

By the time Marisol has skipped home, she’s back to being the uniquely mismatched and marvelous Marisol McDonald …

Award-winning author Monica Brown – whose extended family is Peruvian, Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Jewish, Nicaraguan, Mexican, Chilean, and African! – revels in every child’s individuality, turning her own experiences of being told she and her cousins “don’t match” into this infectiously engaging, empowering celebration. Illustrator Sara Palacios gleefully infuses Marisol with constant movement (her pigtails an indicator of her happiness level), her room filled with creative clutter, her clothing an especially eye-popping reflection of Marisol’s irrepressible energy.

As the kiddies head back to school, Marisol McDonald is a ‘simply marvelous’ book to sneak into their packs … and share with their libraries, as well. That’s not just a hint, that’s an order!

Readers: Children

Published: 2011

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Filed under ..Children/Picture Books, .Bilingual, .Fiction, Hapa, Latino/a, South American

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July 7, 2011 · 12:00 pm

I See the Sun in Afghanistan by Dedie King, translation by Mohd Vahidi, illustrated by Judith Inglese

The quickly growing I See the Sun Series continues with the third installment (following I See the Sun in China and I See the Sun in Nepal), this time heading to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan. Young Habiba begins her day in the dark as her mother gently wakes her to fetch water. After breakfast, Habiba follows her father and younger brother out towards the pasture, then heads to school for the morning. On her way home, she peeks in on her “strong and wise” father who is meeting with village elders in the local mosque. After working in the garden and in the home, she’ll go watch the sheep while her brother takes his turn going to school in the afternoon.

Habiba’s young life is not without difficult reminders of unpredictable violence. Her uncle next door is a former soldier and amputee: Mixed in with exciting stories he tells, “[s]ometimes he gets sad thinking of all the changes he has seen.” The household grows when extended family arrive as they “have lost their house because of the war.” Habiba wonders, “How can so many people live together in a small house?” but after sharing a delicious meal, calming prayers, and even “a BBC broadcast in Dari,” Habibi realizes, “I don’t need to worry. We will share what we have with our cousins as they would with us. Our cousins are family. Our family is strong.”

Like the previous two Sun stories, this volume is bilingual, in both English and in Dari (Pashto and Dari are the official languages of Afghanistan); also as with the other two, this Sun includes a helpful glossary and additional notes. The ancient city of Bamiyan, once a multicultural stopover on the Silk Road, made international headlines in 2001 when two giant Buddha sculptures – the world’s largest examples of standing Buddhas – were destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001. Today Bamiyan is considered one of the few safe areas in the country.

Young Habiba is named in honor of Bamiyan’s governor, Habiba Sarabi, who is Afghanistan’s first and only woman governor. While her country remains in tumultuous flux, Habiba’s story, albeit fictional, reflects very real growing signs of hope around her – family, safety, education, access to enough food and clean water. Undoubtedly, everyday life remains challenging, but as the moon rises and Habiba drifts towards to sleep, her final thought of the day is “I am happy to be right here.” We should all so content.

Tidbit: How’s this for some fortuitous timing … Dear Zari: Hidden Stories from Women of Afghanistan by Zarghuna Kargar is a recent title released in the UK this year (hopefully a US pub date is coming soon), which grew out of an influential BBC World Service Program based in Afghanistan. Perhaps Habiba’s family occasionally tuned into the “Afghan Women’s Hour,” hoping, planning for ways their daughters will have strong, independent, equitable futures.

Readers: Children

Published: 2011

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February 23, 2011 · 9:50 am

My Colors, My World | Mis colores, mi mundo by Maya Christina Gonzalez

Chunky little fingers deserve bright, saturated colors to hold and giggle over, to learn little lessons from … and how about in bonus bilingual presentation? Maya Christina Gonzalez’s already-award winning, bestselling book of many colors gets a gorgeous little makeover for the youngest readers-to-be.

Amidst the squishy brown mud, orange marigolds and purple blossoms flourish in the bountiful garden where a little girl plays. She swings in her red swing as she waits to hug her Papi, pulling herself close to his shiny black hair as her mother waits for them both with an open front door, Safe in her parents warmth, the little girl watches as the pink sun sets. and the blue velvety sky comes down to whisper a soft goodnight.

Ah, if only all our days could be so vibrant and peaceful both  …!

Readers: Children

Published: 2007, 2011 (board book edition)

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December 16, 2010 · 2:39 pm

I See the Sun in Nepal by Dedie King, translation by Chij Shrestha, illustrated by Judith Inglese

From China to Nepal, boutique press Satya House Publications offers the second title in their I See the Sun Series in which a young girl shares her day in the hilly rural village of Bandipur.

The girl greets the sun, as the Himalayan mountains turn “pink and gold” with the dawn’s light. At night, tucked cozily into bed, she sees the moon making the “snowy mountains glow like pearls.” In between, her day is filled with family meals, morning chores, lessons at school where students from three villages gather, playing with friends, and helping her parents in the nearby fields.

While the details of the young Nepali girl’s life might be slightly different from the lives of American readers – for example, she eats a breakfast of tea and chiura (a traditional pounded rice dish), and her older sister milks a water buffalo – the overall message is similar all over the world. Family, friends, community – including, and especially, education – are the cornerstones of all our lives, no matter our diverse geographical locations.

The same author/illustrator duo who created I See the Sun in China, give Nepal a recognizable look-and-feel; Judith Inglese‘s collages that layer photos, cut-outs, and illustrations again provide the story with a depth beyond the flat page. The bilingual nature of the series is also certainly a major plus. All future titles – I See the Sun in Afghanistan is scheduled for an early 2011 debut – will follow a similar visual look, with the all-important bilingual text.

Which leads me to make a heartfelt suggestion: anyone or any companies out there thinking of book donations to organizations abroad should seriously consider a bulk order with Satya House. Move over Peter Rabbit and Hop on Pop! Providing a learning tool with recognizable characters and surroundings, in a language students aspire to speak with a native translation to guide them … now that’s a true (and useful) gift of education.

Readers: Children

Published: 2010

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Filed under ..Children/Picture Books, .Bilingual, .Fiction, Nepali, Nonethnic-specific

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November 12, 2010 · 7:46 am

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

The simplicity of Australian author/artist Jeannie Baker‘s latest title makes it simply stupendous. Open the book and you have two halves on either side, the left which begins in English, and right which starts with Arabic. To tell you too much would be wasteful of the gasp of delight that you will certainly have on your own discovery … so stop reading here or endure just a few details …

Two families – one in Sydney, Australia, the other in southern Morocco’s Valley of Roses (“famous for its rose perfume,” Baker adds in the final author’s note) – experience what seem to be very different lives, thousands of miles apart.

Turn the pages together on either side, and through exquisite, multi-layered collage, Baker creates a wordless journey of two families going about their busy day. “But some things connect them,” Baker writes on the first page, “just as some things are the same for all families no matter where they live.” Indeed each facing set of pages provide hide-and-seek details that actually connect us all together … no spoilers here … you’ll need to cuddle up with a young ‘un to find a few for yourselves!

“The idea for this book came from my delight traveling in a country very different from my own,” explains Baker at book’s end. “At the time, in my own country, there was much political poisoning of attitudes toward foreigners and foreignness.” Traveling as a “stranger” herself, what Baker realized was not so much that outward differences mattered, but “[i]nwardly we are so alike, it could be each other we see when we look in a mirror.”

Her resulting book could not be a better reminder of the same, shared goals of people everywhere: to be loved by family and friends, to be a part of a community, to belong. Regardless of specific circumstances, our connections define and make us human. While celebrating the unique cultures and traditions that give us our diverse heritages, Baker reminds us with clear, undeniable proof that we are all an interconnected community.

Go get a copy right now. Share it with your children, your immigrant neighbors, yourself. Language not required. Just a few moments of your humanity …

Readers: All

Published: 2010

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Filed under ...Absolute Favorites, ..Adult Readers, ..Children/Picture Books, ..Middle Grade Readers, ..Young Adult Readers, .Bilingual, .Fiction, Australian, Moroccan

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November 5, 2010 · 8:30 am

I See the Sun in China by Dedie King, translation by Yan Zhang, illustrated by Judith Inglese

A young girl wakes with excitement, anticipating her early morning ferry ride that will take her from her village to visit her aunt in big-city Shanghai.

At Auntie Yen’s apartment, she eats a “favorite lunch” prepared by Auntie’s cook, then she’s off with Auntie to shop at the Grand Mall, have tea in the park, meet Auntie’s friends for dinner, stroll the Grand Bund, and end their girls’ day out with a foot massage. Returning to Auntie’s apartment, the little girl does her schoolwork, while Auntie “calls her American business partner,” who is just starting his day in Boston. The girl falls asleep remembering her busy day and the many people she met, pondering over “What will I be?”

Satya House Publications – “where ignorance is not bliss, knowledge is” – debuts their I See the Sun Series with China. I See the Sun in Nepal is due out this month. “Each book in the … Series will portray the essential cultural elements of one country through the eyes of a child, providing the reader or listener with an understanding of ‘a day in the life’ of that child,” writes Satya publisher Julie Murkette. The book is presented in both English and Mandarin Chinese, and all the forthcoming titles in the series will be bilingual. A glossary of a few potentially ‘foreign’ words – congee and Tai Chi here, for example – plus an abbreviated country guide ends each title.

While the series’ premise is certainly admirable, their execution is not without a few questionable choices. These may be minor quibbles, but I found myself concerned nonetheless.

Neither author Dedie King nor illustrator Judith Inglese seem to have any direct experience in or ties to China, which strikes me as somewhat problematic when introducing Chinese culture to readers. While King was a 1960s Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal and “especially loves the Far East” according to her bio, no mention is made of either King or Inglese as having visited China, nor any of the countries in the forthcoming titles in the series (with the exception of King’s Nepali adventures). The future list is extensive: I See the Sun installments due in 2011 include Afghanistan, India, and Israel/Palestine; titles scheduled for 2012 include Russia, Korea, and Brazil. So I have to ask … is direct cultural experience necessary for authenticity?

As far as cultural accuracy, China’s one-child policy ignominiously remains in place, and continues to cause gender-related imbalances and inequities. The little girl here has a younger brother …

As for the story’s logistical details, I wondered about a young girl traveling alone on a public ferry from a village to a major city. She’s pictured with pigtails and drawn quite a bit shorter/smaller than her Auntie; the series is targeted for children ages 5 and up so the audience is quite young … Would parents anywhere allow such a young girl to travel solo like this?

As for her busy, busy afternoon, if you factor in traffic and other mundane challenges of reality, how could she and Auntie have crammed all that in and still have time to come back and do schoolwork before bed at a reasonable hour for a young girl?

The next book in the series is due out momentarily … I See the Sun in Nepal should be an interesting comparison to China. As noted, the series’ intentions are undoubtedly promising … how the future titles ultimately fare will definitely be worth watching – and reading.

Readers: Children

Published: 2010

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August 12, 2010 · 3:16 pm

From North to South | Del Norte al Sur by René Colato Laínez, illustrated by Joe Cepeda

José and his Papá live in San Diego. Mamá used to live with them until the factory where she works was raided, and Mamá was sent away to Tijuana, Mexico. Two weeks since her sudden disappearance, José and Papá will finally be able to see her. With excited anticipation, the pair drive over the border – from north to south – to the Centro Madre Assunta, a refuge for immigrant women and children who have been deported from or are waiting to cross south to north and enter the U.S. [The Centro, by the way, is a real place ... and a portion of book's royalties are being directed there.]

José flies into his mother’s waiting arms with shared cries of “‘I missed you so much!’” Mamá introduces her family to her temporary new life, her new friends, the other children, the empty walls of her room waiting to be filled with special pictures José has drawn just for her.

José quickly learns from the other children that he is one of the lucky ones to be able to spend time with his Mamá. Reunion is everyone’s hope and dream, but wishes can’t always come true. Mamá, too, is lucky: Papá is a permanent U.S. resident and he already has a lawyer working to bring Mamá home.

Still, when the day is over, separation is imminent, and José and Papá must leave Mamá behind as they head home. Sitting with him in the back of the not-yet-moving car, Mamá tells José a story until he falls asleep … and he dreams of the someday soon when they can all be together again.

Author René Colato Laínez is an LA-based elementary school teacher who writes in the “Introduction” about one his students whose father was deported. That student, he finds, is not alone, in missing family members. He adds with urgency that most of these students dealing with the trauma of family separation are U.S.-born.

With the latest in unjust immigration upheavals in Arizona and beyond, José and his parents – and too many of Laínez’s students – are some of the actual faces of real people, real families being torn apart by seemingly arbitrary, anonymous laws. From North to South – presented in both English and Spanish for even broader appeal and reach – is an effective, necessary reminder beyond just the numbers of how human lives are at the mercy of policymakers who are far, far away from the real people.

Readers: Children

Published: 2010

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June 1, 2010 · 8:23 am

Black Jack (vol. 1) by Osamu Tezuka, translated by Camellia Nieh

So it’s not officially the start of summer by calendar date, but when temperatures get this hot, my eyeballs turn to lighter reading to soothe the heat-addled brain. Given my later-in-life appreciation for manga, Osamu Tezuka always proves to be a reliable go-to choice. In the multi-volume Black Jack – which debuted in Japan in the 1970s to mega-success, and recently made available in full in English translation from the fabulous boutique press, Vertical, Inc. – the versatile, prolific, late ‘godfather of manga’ most certainly puts his medical degree (yes, that’s Dr. Tezuka!) to entertaining use.

Black Jack is a renegade doctor without a license, who eschews the controlling – too often corrupt – medical establishment. He charges (and receives) the most exorbitant fees to work medical miracles. With his heavily scarred face, his dramatic black cloak, his shock of black-and-white-unruly hair, he’s quite the distinctively menacing sight. But he’s also got a caring, suffering heart hidden deep within that he only shows bare glimpses of at the most unexpected moments.T

The good doctor will stop at nothing to save a life, regardless of the danger or risks (even to himself). He saves an innocent young man by giving him the face of an evil, wealthy tycoon heir. He tracks down a serial killer whose image haunts a young woman with a recent corneal transplant. He removes a talking cystoma from a young woman which proves to be her not-fully-developed twin sister; he remolds the unfinished, unwanted body pieces into an adorable little girl, who becomes his pouting, lisping, comical sidekick Pinoko.

He says a tearful goodbye to his savior and mentor – Dr. Honma who diligently saved Jack as a young boy after a horrendous accident – after learning yet another lesson in the protective powers of the human body. He reunites briefly with the love of his life, whom he was forced to save only to lose her forever. He ‘fixes’ an overzealous computer with destructive delusions of grandeur, helps a young boy with polio achieve his dream, and manages to gives new life to a talented pair of hands.

So far, Vertical has managed to publish 11 volumes (with more on the way!), each filled with about a dozen stories of Black Jack’s around-the-world, often other-worldly adventures. If you read them slowly (if you can manage a little self-control? … good luck with that!), you should be able to last out much of the summer … here’s hoping, anyway.

To check out other volumes of Black Jack on BookDragon, click here.

Readers: Young Adult, Adult

Published: 2008 (United States)

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Filed under ...And Awful Duds, .Bilingual, .Biography, .Short Stories, .Translation, Japanese American

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May 5, 2010 · 8:30 am

Let Me Help! | ¡Quiero Ayudar! by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Angela Domínguez

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Perico and his human family!

While everyone busily prepares for the big picnic and festivities on the rented barge that will float down the San Antonio River, Perico the parrot looks for ways he can help, too. But Grandmother and Aunt Lupe chase him away from making tamales, Elena and Mama can make the tissue flowers without him, Aunt Alicia can’t concentrate getting Lupita and Carmen ready if he’s flapping around, and Antonio and Francisco can’t practice their mariachi number with his added noise … what’s a helpful parrot to do?

Drawn by the colors and sounds of the celebration, Perico flies to the River to watch. Soon he finds his human family’s decked-out barge, and swoops down to his rightful place, atop the beautiful flowers, as he adds his joyful songs. “He had finally found a way to help. It wasn’t by trying to do what others could do, but by doing what no one else could. And he did it by being himself, his wonderful self.”

While the bilingual story is a heartwarming celebration of family love (which includes the feathered and furry, too), I must add a note of caution about birds as pets. Illegal exotic bird smuggling and selling are, unfortunately, still a problem throughout the world. The safest and most responsible way to obtain a feathered family member is through a reputable breeder.

However, as these birds are hand-raised with most of their ‘wildness’ bred out of them, they can no longer survive on their own. Most domesticated birds, therefore, do not because they often can not (as wings are usually clipped) fly free as Perico does in this story, and especially not out of the confines of their human family’s homes. To prevent any flyaway losses, families with birds might want to remind their younger readers that Perico’s adventures need to remain on the page.

Readers: Children

Published: 2010

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