First off, I would like to say Thank You to anyone who actually reads all my posts and for sticking around and coming back to read about our latest happenings. It is so difficult to keep up with posting on a weekly basis. Some ideas come and leave before I can jot down a sliver of that inspiration. Others stick around and haunt my days until I can spit them out onto this here blog journal I’ve created for myself. Sharing a review of our favorite Spanish or Bilingual books is one of those ideas that I cannot go without forgetting. It bugs me when I don’t do it because we have already made several trips to the library since my first post about our new
library routine, and I have only shared and reviewed one book out of the handful that I have fallen in love with. So let me try this again. I promise to really try hard to be more consistent with this series. Especially since I will be giving away some of the books that I review and share here. I am super excited to be having my first giveaway so let’s get to it.
Written by
Arthur Dorros, illustrated by
Elisa Kleven,
Abuela is a story of a little girl who imagines an adventure of flying through New York City alongside her querida Abuela (Grandmother). Her curious and imaginative nature makes her wonder the possibilities as they venture into an imaginary flight. From a bus ride to the park, through the skyscrapers of NYC and all the way to the clouds, they gracefully glide past familiar landmarks in which they have either visited before or share cherished memories in. Although the story is about the little girl imagining this beautiful adventure, you get that sense of love she feels for her grandmother and immediately know that the time she spends with her is very special. It reminds me of how much my own daughter cherishes her time with her Grandparents.
Illustrator Elisa Kleven depicts a wonderful representation of what NYC represents – a culturally diverse and lively population. The rich illustrations contain wonderful detail you don’t want to skip. This is one of those books that you can’t just read and get through (at least you shouldn’t). When you’re reading to children you also want to teach them how to visually read a book as well. It’s common for parents to want to read through a book without too much interruption and end up becoming frustrated with the umpteen number of questions that children ask before, during, and after you have read a story. Trust me, I know the feeling. But with books that have illustrations like Abuela, you want to be open to really studying them. That skill – studying – begins with you teaching your little one good reading habits that will help him/her later when they are in school. This is a great book for those types of lessons at home because the illustrations provoke new ideas through discussion of the great detail. The book is available in English with Spanish phrases or Spanish with English phrases and can be purchased through any book retailer, or through my Amazon store. I highly encourage you to visit Arthur Dorris’ and Elisa Kleven’s websites here and here where you can view more of their wonderful work. I’ve already got a few other books of theirs in mind that I will be looking for at our next library visit. 🙂
Now for the giveaway. I will be giving away two copies (language of your choice) to two people (one copy each). All you have to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite children’s book and why. Any age up to adolescence, doesn’t matter. The winners will be chosen by a randomly selected number (using the total number of entries) by Random.org on 10/30/12. Good luck!
*Disclosure*
This is not a sponsored advertisement of any kind. No one paid me or asked me to do this. I simply want to share with families the joy of reading a book to a child. Books have always been a big part of our family bedtime routine that my oldest child cherishes. This giveaway is from me, to you and your’s. Simple as that.
This giveaway has ended.
