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| by Bill Martin Jr. &
Michael Sampson Illustrated by Lois Elkhart Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers Copyright 2004 |
This is a wonderful book that will not only have children enjoying all the delightful rhymes, but alos learning how to count to 20--and maybe eve beyond. In thsi mathimatical adventure, all the numbers race against each other to see who reaches the top of the apple tree first. Among rhythm and rhyme, the numbers first climb "in an orderly fashion," and then "tumble jump and fly" out of the somber tree. The colorful adventure ends when they all find their place in the tree, and find a hero...Who could that be? Readers of all ages will enjoy reading this book, and finding out who the hero turns out to be.
Recommendation
I highly recomend this book for other primary grade/elementary teachers. They will not only be teaching thier Kinders how to count, but also delighting them with all the wonderful beats. The children can chime in and "read" with you, once they've more or less memorized the book, and it will provide for a wonderful classroom "theme song." Older readers (grades 1-3) will delight in reading the rhythmic book to younger readers, and seeing how fluently they can now read. And one must not forget English Learners, who will also find the book extrememly engaging because of it's easy to follow along. They'll love the rhythmic simplicity, and be on they're way to learning a broader vocabulary. You can't help but to love and learn from this book!
Parents, if you hear your little ones chanting away at home, feel free to join in with them! go ahead and borrow the book from your child's classroom, or the public library. It'll give you something extra to share, sing about, and laugh about. Try it and see!
Note
As you can tell, this book provides students with knowledge of new vocabulary, numbers, and colors. I highly recommend it, but don't only take my word for it. Read it and tell me what you think!!!
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| by Susan Middleton Elya Illustrated by Loretta Lopez Lee and Low Books, Inc. Copyright 1996 |
This book is brilliant-- and I don't mean just the images! It has a magnificent way of presenting itself to the readers in both English and Spanish, and it completely rhymes! For native Spanish speakers, it will be a delight to read because of all the humor, and for those only learning Spanish, you'll feel bilingual in no time. You'll be taken through a whirl-pool of images and sounds, and only reading it to you would make justice to it. Try it and see...
Recommendation
I would urge everyone to read this book, especially if you love to speak Spanish. whether you're a dual immersion teacher, an English Learner teacher, or simply trying to find a good read, you'll find that it has something to offer you. Apart from just enjoying the wonderful rhymes and the beatiful pictures, your class can try translating it simultaneously, you may also learn new vocabulary both in English and Spanish, and you try to come up with other rhymes. It will definitely keep you entertained, and you won't even know that you're learning too!
Parents, this is a great way for you to help your children-- without them even knowing it. Whether you want to help them "keep their language alive," "learn a new language," or simply learn new vocabulary while enjoying a book, this is a great way to encourage it. It will give you great laughable moments that they are bound to remember from here on... Give it a try, ¡por favor!
Note
When I first came across this book, I was amazed by it! It's fun and entertaining, and you don't even realize that you're learning so much from it. I would recommend it to readers of any age--I'm sure older children will love it's silliness, too. You won't know until you try it, so pick up a copy today, and tell me if you learned something en Español today!