Say Hola to Spanish by Susan Middleton Elya, Loretta Lopez (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Now in paperback, this popular companion volume makes learning a new language a fun activity for kids as well as their parents and teachers. Complete with a glossary and pronunciation guide, the book's lively art and bouncy rhythms help children remember new words.

Children's Literature

This sequel to Say Hello in Spanish (1996), introduces seventy more Spanish names for animals, foods, vehicles and other nouns plus, a smattering of adjectives, adverbs, and greeting interjections. The rhymes support the teaching of individual words, but little context supports the learning of the words in situations. Cheerful gouache and colored pencil illustrations of animals and people are depicted in various humorous and lively activities, which makes this an easy way to learn some Spanish vocabulary. For a more challenging learning experience supported by rich situational contexts however, see Chantal Lacourciere Kenny's The Kids Can Press Spanish & English Phrase Book.

Children's Literature

Say Hola to Spanish is a delightful introduction to over 70 Spanish words. Everyday words are presented in a rhythmic pattern that makes them easy to remember. A glossary at the end provides a key to pronunciation. Delightful pictures accompany the text to make this an entertaining beginning to learning another language.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4A rhyming text and bright cartoon illustrations introduce 72 Spanish words in this follow-up volume to Say Hola to Spanish (Lee & Low, 1996). The words seem chosen more for their rhyming qualities than from any logical consideration; e.g., the inclusion of guitars, tubas, oranges, and grapes on the same pagetubas rhymes with uvas. The meaning of most words can be deduced from the pictures, though in some cases, such as juguetes and mueca (toys and doll), the objects referred to are not obvious. A glossary with pronunciation guides helps verify what readers may have to guess otherwise. Katherine Farris's Let's Speak Spanish (Dutton, 1995) as well as Rebecca Emberley's Let's Go/Vamos and My day/Mi dia (Little, Brown, 1993) present a wider vocabulary in a format that is easier to follow, though both are less suited for reading aloud. Hank DeZutter's Who Says a Dog Goes Bow-Wow (Dell, 1997) introduces 16 languages in story form. It is superior in illustrative terms. Despite the drawbacks presented by the eclectic word choices and slightly garish illustrations, Say Hola is an entertaining, albeit additional, purchase.Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA

Kirkus Reviews

Sunny illustrations and a rhyming text introduce 70 Spanish words in surprisingly straightforward English sentences: "A dog is a perro,/a cat is a gato./You drink from a vaso/and eat from a plato." In addition to providing translations for those who need more help than is supplied in the decidedly Western-flair illustrations, the glossary also insures that the newly bilingual get the pronunciation right. The progression of determinedly happy pictures begins to spring surprises midway through the book; these are sometimes simply amusing (a UFO appears over the increasingly chaotic action) and sometimes verging on the surreal (a fiesta- loving shark swings a bat). The text also includes words (burrito, piñata, mosquito) that are identical in the two languages. Outwardly, this book by two newcomers looks like a language lesson from Looney Tunes. Then—¡sorpresa!—it turns out to be innovative, useful, and fun.

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