Alma, Head to Toe/Alma, de pies a cabeza

by Juana Martinez-Neal, Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator)

Overview

"Warmth exudes from each spread, and the cuddle-worthy heroine is full of so much joy. Readers will embrace these books with much enthusiasm."—School Library Journal (starred review)

I have two eyes, one nose, and a mouth. / Tengo dos ojos, una nariz y una boca.
I see you, Pajarito! / ¡Te veo, Pajarito!

Alma is known for her iconic stripes—but there’s more she’d like to show you! She has arms, hands, and fingers for patting a pet bird—as well as legs, feet, toes, and one adorable belly, below her ever-present heart. Juana Martinez-Neal’s bilingual board book teaches body parts while sharing moments in a little girl’s world, in a conversational narration (shown in both languages on every spread) combined with gentle, inviting illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536234435
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Series:	Alma's Words/Las palabras de Alma , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years
Language:	Spanish

About the Author

Juana Martinez-Neal is the Peruvian-born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author-illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name, was awarded a Caldecott Honor and published in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. She is the author-illustrator of the acclaimed Zonia’s Rain Forest and the illustrator of La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, Babymoon by Hayley Barrett, and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won a Robert F. Sibert Medal. She also co-illustrated with Molly Idle I Don’t Care by Julie Fogliano. Juana Martinez-Neal lives in Connecticut with her family. Visit her online at www.juanamartinezneal.com.
Juana Martinez-Neal is the Peruvian-born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author-illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name, was awarded a Caldecott Honor and was published in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. She also illustrated La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, Babymoon by Hayley Barrett, Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry, and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won a Robert F. Sibert Medal. Juana Martinez-Neal lives in Connecticut with her family. Visit her online at www.juanamartinezneal.com.

Editorial Reviews

Adorable Alma, first seen in Alma and How She Got Her Name (2018), makes her debut in the world of board books with this entry in the new bilingual series, Alma’s Words / Las Palabras de Alma. . . . Martinez-Neal’s irresistible, softly textured illustrations are scaled large and rest against white, double-page spreads, sharing space with color-coded text: black for English, red for Spanish. An effervescent reading experience and sweet celebration of self.
—Booklist (starred review)

Warmth exudes from each spread, and the cuddle-worthy heroine is full of so much joy. Readers will embrace these books with much enthusiasm. . . ­Every collection needs more Alma. These titles are a must-purchase.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2023

Toddler-PreS—The lovable title character of Caldecott Honor Book Alma and How She Got Her Name stars in her own concept board book series. With the same cozy art and fluid line, Martinez-Neal revisits Alma and her sweet family to introduce concepts in English and Spanish. In Alma and Her Family/Alma y su familia, the little girl presents her family, from her father to her pet bird, and shares how she likes to demonstrate her love for each of them. "I kiss my daddy./ Le doy un beso a mi papi. I squeeze my mommy./ Apachurro a mi mami." In Alma, Head to Toe/Alma, de pies a cabeza, the toddler celebrates the parts of her body in both languages. She also explains how she uses them to explore her world. "Here are my arms, hands, and fingers./ Aquí están mis brazos, manos y dedos. Pajarito, you are as soft as a flower./ ¿Pajarito, eres tan suave como una flor," she says as she caresses her pet bird. The glimpses of her plump body as she moves are dancelike and free. The English text appears first with black font; the Spanish text is blue. The mostly pink-white-black palette will attract little hands. Warmth exudes from each spread, and the cuddle-worthy heroine is full of so much joy. Readers will embrace these books with much enthusiasm, regardless of the language they understand. VERDICT Every collection needs more Alma. These titles are a must-purchase.—Shelley M. Diaz

School Library Journal