How Do You Say? / ¿Cómo Se Dice? (Spanish bilingual)

by Angela Dominguez, Angela Dominguez (Illustrator)

Overview

Hello! ¡Hola! Some people speak Spanish. Some people speak English. Although we may not speak the same language, some things, like friendship, are universal!

Follow two young giraffes as they meet, celebrate, and become friends. This bilingual tale will have readers eager to meet new friends and amigos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781627794961
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	11/08/2016
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	507,193
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Language:	Spanish
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City, grew up in the great state of Texas, and now resides in Brooklyn. She has illustrated four previous books for children. As a child, she loved reading books and making a mess creating pictures. She's delighted to still be doing both.

Editorial Reviews

10/24/2016
Two look-alike giraffes mirror each other’s behavior and exchange simple words in Spanish and English in this upbeat tribute to language. “Food!” declares the English-speaking giraffe. “¡Comida!” says the other. Both dip their long necks to drink water, and after declaring that they are friends, they don party hats amid a shower of balloons and confetti (“Party! ¡Fiesta!”), then fall asleep in heap. Dominguez’s bold, playful pictures keep the focus squarely on the giraffes’ one-on-one interactions as she demonstrates something that many children know intuitively: speaking different languages is a minor detail when it comes to making new friends. Ages 2–4. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for How Do You Say? / ¿Cómo se dice?:

"Young children will delight in the antics of two endearing giraffes in this bilingual picture book." —School Library Journal

"This charming story is as light as air yet carries heft." —Kirkus Reviews

"As appealing to look at as it is to listen to, this book... provides opportunities to bring together those learning English, learning Spanish, or just learning how to make new friends and amigos." —The Horn Book

"Dominguez’s bold, playful pictures keep the focus squarely on the giraffes’ one-on-one interactions as she demonstrates something that many children know intuitively: speaking different languages is a minor detail when it comes to making new friends." —Publishers Weekly

Praise for Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita:

“A fresh and enjoyable reimagining of a traditional children's rhyme.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A solid addition to a bilingual storytime program.” —The Bulletin

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Young children will delight in the antics of two endearing giraffes in this bilingual picture book. This work makes ample use of white space to help readers focus on the plot, and each page presents just one word or short phrase, first in English and then in Spanish, with a word shared by both on one spread. Initially, an English- and a Spanish-speaking giraffe meander unknowingly toward each other as they eat. "Oooh," says one. "Aaah," declares the other. "Food!" exclaims one, and "¡Comida!" shouts the other. However, neither giraffe notices the other until they are eating from the very same tree. Although they speak different languages, the pair find ways to communicate and common interests that make for a joyful day. Considering the limited number of words in the book, readers must pay close attention to its visual clues. Yet its endearing illustrations provide just enough foreshadowing so that very young children, with adult scaffolding, can make predictions about the story. VERDICT When combined with adult guidance, this small book will be a favorite for repeated, interactive read-alouds given its child-friendly visual appeal and theme of friendship across languages.—Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, IL

School Library Journal

2016-08-17
As a Spanish-speaking giraffe and an English-speaking giraffe meet, they discover friendship has no language barriers.Two giraffes meet—“Oooh / Aaah”—and find they have much in common. They agree the acacia they nibble on is delicious and that they can share water from the same pond. And as they eat and drink, they get to greet. “Hello? / ¿Hola?” and “Good day! / ¡Buenos días!” lead to “Happy / Feliz” and “Friends? / ¿Amigos?” and a shared, enthusiastic “OK.” Time now to celebrate: “Party! / ¡Fiesta!” And after that? “Nap? / ¿Siesta?” of course! The final two-page spread shows a tangle of balloons and giraffes sharing Zzzzs. Some things indeed are universal. The illustrations by Pura Belpré honoree Dominguez, created with pencil and tissue paper, then digitally colorized, feature the two giraffes in bold outlines and a limited palette of earth tones. Each two-page spread positions the English-speaking giraffe on the left and the Spanish-speaking one on the right, with only one word per page. Standing out against a white background, the giraffes, or parts of the giraffes, are depicted from different perspectives that add movement and nuance to the story. With only 20 words (fewer, really, since most words are just the equivalent word in the opposite language), so much can be said. Astute adult readers could turn it into a language lesson or a conversation on friendship. This charming story is as light as air yet carries heft. (Picture book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews