Book Description

Eight animals-ocho animales-get together to whip up a cake. Everyone brings an important ingredient, and soon they will have a wonderful pastel. But when the timer dings and everyone wants to take the cake out of the oven, they end up dropping the whole thing all over the floor. What a mess! With some creative thinking from Cow-Vaca-and a little dinero, too, the surprise at the end is worth the wait.

Perfect for non-Spanish speakers as well as Spanish speakers learning English, this is a delightful book about cooking, eating, and the love of good friends. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Mess of Fun!
Eight animals in the kitchen cooking up fun, and a giant mess! The book introduces Spanish vocabulary as each animal brings an ingredient for the cake. The story is cute for early readers, who will soon be reciting the book as they hurry to turn the pages.

Puerta Vallarta artist Lee Chapman is known for his colorful and whimsical style, and makes this book worthy of art collectors too!

This ones a keeper!
We checked this book out from the library and it looks like we'll be making it a permanent part of our book collection. My two-year-old loves it and she's learning the names of all the animals in Spanish too! The illustrations are colorful and the story is captivating for a little one who is obsessed with cakes! ... Read more

Book Description

Even if you've never spoken Italian before, this exciting pack of stories, songs, games, and parent information will provide hours of entertainment while building language skills that will last a lifetime. Store everything in this handy suitcase and take it wherever you go! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Read-Along Tape and Book
Very skeptical upon purchasing.After all, kids don't listen to tapes in English, so why would they listen in Italian? I was very wrong, and AMAZED at my 4 year old niece. She follows the book while listening and repeating, and sounds exactly like the tape. It's her favorite book. Her grandmother from Italy was also impressed. I'm sold. I bought this same language pack in Spanish for my daughter. One thing though: The flash cards would be better having written the numbers instead of having six tomatoes for the number six. She thinks the word means tomatoes instead of six. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very good
This is a good book. It goes past the basics and uses cartoons with it, though I may not suggest it for very young kids. And using this book probably will help you with your English. ... Read more

Book Description

"Gee lee, gu lu, turn the cake. Add some oil, the betterto bake. Gee lee, gu lu, now it's done. Give a piece to everyone."Children of all lands will welcome this enchanting collection of poems, lullabies, counting rhymes, and songs from the Chinese oral tradition."These versions retain the mood and graceful tone of the originals...Ed Young's illustrations, inspired by calssic Chinese art, show a master's use of line, color, and pattern." -- The New York Times book Review"Beautifully conceived and designed." -- Booklist"Ed Young's paintings charm the eye and ...make a gentle, almost luminous visual re coming together, and apart, in Los Angeles. Fresh and in-your-face, this witty novel depicts a world where women sometimes have to alter their dreams, but never have to stop embracing the future. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A nice addition to Western Mother Goose rhymes
There is a wealth of Western "Mother Goose" to share with children, but this is a wonderful alternative for Westerners who are looking for something "different." My five-year-old especially enjoys the riddles. I do not know how accurate the translations are, but they have a nice sense of rhythm and rhyme -- exactly what you expect in a nursery rhyme.

Disappointed
... The rhymes were not v. good or catchy for a child, and did not flow. I bought the book for the Chinese translation, but was disappointed with the caligraphy and Chinese in the rhymes. The English translation seem OK, but translations are not really for reading out loud. One star for the good pictures which my daughter liked. ... Read more

Book Description

A testament to the mother/daughter bond, illustrations and text take turns highlighting personal variations on the theme of their life together. The circle of life repeats with the birth of the daughter’s child. Full English/Spanish text translation. Bilingual glossary page. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"Even More"- A Wonderful Child Therapy Tool
In my practice as a Drama Therapist, I work with foster children from high-conflict families. Occasionally, an excellent book appears that is so richly written and beautifully illustrated, that it naturally draws in the attention of these troubled kids."Even More-Toda via Mas" is one such book.B. Quick's lovely story (andMcGrath's lush illustrations) explores child development and unconditional love between mother and child, often allowing my clients to begin to imagine somethingmore for themselves in the future.In my office,"Even More" has become a favorite book for the kids and an important tool for me.

Heart Warming Tale of Generational Love
Even More is a sweet heartwarming tale of love that spans generations. It beautifully portrays the timelessness of the love of a mother for her daughter, of a daughter's love for her mother and the loveliness of the great circle of life.

Barbara Quick and Liz McGrath have written a beautiful rendition of what every mother feels in her heart when she looks at her baby and sees future generations. It's filled with love, hope and joy.

I highly recommend this book as a gift for yourself, your mother or your children

Reviewer name:Deven Vasko of Betsie's Literary Page
http://betsie.tripod.com/literary

Mother & Child and Endearing Love
First off, I absolutely loved the concept of having a story written in both English and Spanish and commend the authors on such an undertaking.EVEN MORE is a beautiful tribute to the unconditional love of mothers and children everywhere and focuses on growing up.Starting with the birth of a child, we then follow each of the various stages of growth with the mother sharing her love for her child and the child in turn sharing their thoughts about their mother in cute little "I love you more" phrases.

Matched with the declarations of love are sketchings, drawings, and images depicting the child's growth to coincide with the words of the story.There are even pictures that appear to have been drawn by a child.Though I loved the book in its entirety, my favorite part comes at the end where the daughter has had her own child and is repeating the cycle of "I love you more."

Beautiful, colorful, and spotlighting endearing love, this story touched my heart and made me think of my deceased mother as well as my own daughter who I too love...even more.

Reviewed by (...)

Share a special bond with your daughter
"Even More" celebrates the special relationship between a mother and a daughter.Author Liz McGrath takes the reader on a trip along the cycle of life from the birth of a child to the birth of a grandchild.Along the way the mother finds ways to express how much she loves her daughter and the daughter also expresses her love for her mother.This is a wonderful book to show the young reader the strong bonds of love that exist (or at least should exist) between a daughter and a mother.This is a very well done bilingual book written in English and Spanish for children about four to eight years old.Sure to help the young reader understand how important they are to their parents, "Even More" is a highly recommended children's book.

Makes a great present!Happy Mother's Day!
This book is a gem to give as a new baby present as it is beautifully illustrated and reads as well the first time you read it to your first child as when she reads it to the next sibling! ... Read more

Book Description

Even if you've never spoken Spanish before, this exciting pack of stories, songs, games, and parent information will provide hours of entertainment while building language skills that will last a lifetime. Store everything in this handy suitcase and take it wherever you go! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Berlitz Kids Spanish Language Pack
My three year old and I have been using the pack for the past few weeks and already she's singing parts of the songs, counting, and using simple terms and phrases. The pack has not only well balanced materials it is also fun. In my daughter's opinion putting in the story tape and looking at the flash cards is just another game to play. The parents' guide has given helpful information and ideas so that I can create a foundation for sharing a new language with my daughter. It is clear, fun, and eye cathing. She (and I) have been able to pick up words quite easily. Very enjoyable! ... Read more

Book Description

Si llevas un ratón al cine, te pedirá palomitas de maíz. Una vez que le des las palomitas de maíz, querrá hacer una guirnalda con ellas. Luego, querrá colgarla en un árbol de Navidad. Tendrás que comprarle uno...

Reviews (1)

Cute book for Spanish students and native speaking kids
My mother told me my step-father was finally learning Spanish, so I purchased this for him as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, his Spanish studies went nowhere, but I did get to share the book with my children, who are both learning Spanish. While the text was simple enough for a 9 year old to follow, it simply didn't have the same rhythm, charm, and cuteness that the English versions of the "Mouse" books. Illustrations are nice, however, and my kids enjoyed it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

excellent introduction to English & Spanish at an early age
Just purchased the book. Great teaching tool to introduce children to different languages. Bright colorful pictures to go along with the text. They certainly hold the interest of the children. Super idea for bilingual learning. Creative words were used. Bought a few to give as baby gifts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Singing
Lively music, familiar tunes. Too fast for language learners to follow. I listen and learn the songs in my car, then teach them to my students. I bought the other two (Teach me more Spanish, and Teach me even more Spanish) and I and my kids love them all!

There is one song and dialog for each month of the year.

Great Way for a Small Child to Learn Spanish!
When I was Six and a half, my family went to Paraguay to adopt my sister. For those of you that don't know, In paraguay they speak Spanish. So that I could communicate in Paraguay, Mom Bought me a copy of Teach Me Spanish. We played the tape in my grandmother's car on the way to the airport to catch the plane. I loved it, but sadly, I have lost it. It's got La Cucaracha, The Wheels on the Car, The More We Get Together, and Many other childrens songs sung in English and Spanish. And the Teach Me series has songs sung in Spanish, French, German, and Believe it or Not Japanese, Mrs Mahoney, Could you do one in Czeck, for those going to Czeckoslovakia? (I don't know if I'm Spelling it Right) You would change the world ... Read more

Book Description

This book and cassette introduces Mandarin Chinese to childrenthe fun and natural way using many familiar melodies as well as nativechildren's songs from China. Children will enjoy learning basicvocabulary and pronunciation through popular themes such as greetings,numbers, family, animals, weather, colors and more. The song bookcontains illustrations featuring Penny and Tommy Panda while thedigitally recorded cassette has 22 vocals in Chinese on one side andmusic only on the other. The book also includes English translations,pronunciation guide, suggested activities and instructional guides. TheSing 'n Learn Chinese is the first of its kind to be released in theUnited States and it is also in use in China. The 23-minute digitallyrecorded tapes have a slightly slow tempo to allow for clearenunciation. It is also the only title with the lyrics in bothtraditional and simplified characters and romanized pinyinpronunciation system. No prior knowledge of Chinese is necessary! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great for kids
My 4 year old son just loves the songs. He will listen to it three or four times a day. He has learned all the words in book. All the Chinese say he has very good pronunciation. A friend of mine recommended this book to me. She says they have worn out the tape once and are now on to the CD. The singer sings and also says clearly the words to the songs.

Skull-splitting headache guaranteed!!
If you enjoy a thumping, skull splitting migraine headache, then Sing N Learn is for you.

As a longtime language instructor, I agree with the attempt and effort that this series makes, but it is the execution that ultimately weakens Sing N Learn Chinese.

To be sure, there are much, much better ways to learn Chinese. In fact, I would recommend this title only as a last resort and after you've thoroughly exhausted traditional ways to learn Chinese.

The songs contained herein are renditions of popular Chinese folk songs. WARNING: Most of the words sung throughout are inaudible. While the accompanying workbook aids in comprehension, it isn't enough to get you through the annoying vocals of the entire Sing N Learn series.

Indeed, most of the songs contain blood-curdling vocals accompanied by low fidelity musical arrangements making listening to the songs almost unbearable. (My students asked me to turn it off after one song). Overall, the musical and vocal quality is definitely poor and grating at best. I will bet an entire year's paycheck that my dog can howl better than the vocals on this tape. Do yourself a favor: try something, anything else other than this series to learn a foreign language. "*"

My 2 year old loves it - what else matters?
My two year old wants to hear this CD again and again. He sings the songs to me and corrects me if I make a mistake!

This CD is entirely in Mandarin. At the end of the songs, the music from the entire CD is played over again without the voice, so you can sing it yourselves. Included is a book that has English translations, traditional and simplified Chinese characters, pinyin spellings with tone markers, and a glossary. (The glossary has the most important words, but not every single word that is used).

Be aware that this CD does not "teach" Chinese by itself. If the child doesn't already speak Chinese, the material needs to be presented by a parent or teacher. The songs (there are 22 of them) have been selected so that most of them can be "acted out" in some way, allowing the parent or teacher to illustrate the meaning of the song while singing it. For example, one favorite song of ours asks "Where is mommy?" and then answers "Here she is!", and you can play along with a Peek-a-boo type game. Likewise, there are two songs naming bodyparts similar to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." In the book there is an Activity Guide with ideas for each song. I am very much in favor of this "total immersion" style of learning, especially for young children.

As a beginner myself, the task of learning the songs has taken quite a bit of effort. (To be honest, I am making my way through them at a rate of one every month or two). The songs are sung very quickly on the CD, and the English translations in the book tend to be correct English rather than literal translations. I have had to do some research to make sure I understand the meanings of each word individually. But, since I want to learn Chinese myself, this is not a bad thing. I am very grateful that this is a CD instead of an audio cassette, making it easy to repeat a song over and over while learning it. I could complain about the fast pace of the songs, but I think that it probably adds to the preschooler appeal.

One caveat is that the tone of a word is not usually clear from hearing it sung. By that I mean, I can learn a word from the song and sing along with it, but when I try to speak the word later I find that I don't know which of the four tones to use. The tones are indicated in the book, but as a memory aid the songs do not help reinforce the tones. I think that that is an inherent limitation of music as a tool for learning Chinese and not a criticism of this product in particular. It is probably best to use a combination of approaches anyway and not expect one product to do everything.

(I could also complain that every time I want to remember the word for "mouth" in Chinese I have to sing to myself "'I have two ears, I have two eyes, I have one nose, and I have one . . . . ' Oh yeah, that's it!". But hey, at least I can come up with it eventually!)

From an adult aesthetic point of view, most of the songs don't appeal to me very much. The electronic keyboard accompaniment sounds kind of like a hyper-active circus to me. I find it quite annoying when I realize that I have left the CD on and it is playing the part with just the background music and no words. Most of the songs seem to have familiar (ie, boring) western melodies - there are at least three to the tune of "Are you sleeping." But a few, like the "Frog Song", sound more like Chinese folk songs and appeal to me more.

But given the limited number of products out there, I say this one is helpful and motivating, so what else could I ask for?

The jury's still out
I bought this tape expecting that there would be children singing these songs (I don't know what prompted me to think that); instead it's an adult woman with a rather high voice. My 3 year old son has only listened to the tape once because I found the music and singing a little grating the first time we heard it. Also, I think that the songs are sung a little too fast for beginners, even though I am a Chinese speaker and can understand what's being said. I may just need to play it hundreds of times, as I do most of my son's music tapes, for him to learn the words.

sing n learn chinese
these song are great, my daughters not only learn the chinese language but also the english version of these songs. This item is used at our play group and the children love this tape. the tape is music and words are clear each word can be understood it is a must. ... Read more

Book Description

A humorous folktale from Nicaragua about a well-meaning man who can't figure out how to make changes in his life until his niece shows him how.

When Ambrosia gives her Uncle Nacho a new hat, he tries to get rid of his old one, but to no avail. No matter what he does, the pesky hat keeps coming back to him. This classic folktale from the Puppet Workshop of Nicaraguan National Television, vividly illustrated by Mira Reisberg and presented in a bilingual edition, is a parable about the difficulties of making changes and shaking off old habits. The book includes an account of the origins of the story. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Gem of a Book
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in quality latino literature. The other two books I read and highly recommend are DRUM, CHAVI, DRUM! (by Cuban author Mayra L. Dole) and TRINOS CHOICE (by chicana author Diane Bertrand).

uncle nachos hat
The book I am doing is called Uncle Nacho's Hat by Harriet Rohmer. It is really funny. Hear is how it goes.

The book is about this man named Uncle Nacho. That has a cat, dog, parrot and a monkey. But he has a hat that is very old and full of holes. And one day his niece Ambrosia stopped by for a visit before she went to school. She got Uncle Nacho a new hat. But uncle nacho did not know what to do with his old one. He tried to put it in the street. He put it by the super market. But people kept on returning the old hat. So he threw it in the trash can and he went outside to show the people and everyone said he look very handsome in his new hat.

The message of this book is to buy a new hat when your old one is full of holes.
My opinion is that uncle Nacho can talk Spanish and English. So can his niece Ambrosia.

I like this book. At the end all kinds of people like uncle Nacho's new hat. I would like to recommend this book because it was funny and cool.

Grateful This Book Exist!
I am grateful that bilingual children's books are being written. Uncle Nacho's Hat introduces children to beautiful magical folklore and exposes them to talented artist, Simon Silva. I have started a small collection of books published by Children's Book Press for my nephew and son. These books are a tool for me to preserve our language and culture.

Uncle Nacho's Hat
Delightful parable about change. When given a gift of a new hat, Uncle Nacho discards his old one. Everyone seeing the old onw recognizes it as Uncle Nacho's and returns it to him. The story appears in both English and delightful Spanish. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great for kids of all ages
This sticker book is comprehensive and fun for all ages (my daughter age 12 - enjoyed it). The book includes a full glossary/dictionary of all the words in the book with a pronunciation guide. All the words include feminine or masculine articles. The stickers help reinforce the learning.

Incredibly Helpful...
This book is incredibly helpful from children ages 6 all the way up to adults. You can be in French 1 in high school or AP French in college. No matter which way you go, this book helps you review for all the common French words that no tourist should be without. What's that word for watermelon? How about bathroom? Oh, dang, I forgot how to say tooth! Well, just review the pages of this book and its cute little pictures, and you'll remember in no time. It's also great if you're trying to teach young children their 2nd language, which I recommend, because children learn easier. This book will be fun for them, and for you to brush up on your French!

Still fun after all these months.
My daughter, age 4, has been enjoying this book since we received it eight months ago.Each page introduces a new theme:the kitchen, travel, the park, etc.Large, colorful drawings show how objects are used and relateto one another.Each theme has a variety of smaller pictures and stickersto teach individual words.My daugher often chose to work with the stickerbook at reading time, and even though she has completed all the pages,still finds the book fascinating.I can only hope for a "SecondThousand Words in French" as a follow-up. ... Read more

Book Description