Fall Reading 2016 Canticos: Elefantitos/Little Elephants

Elefantitos is based on a counting rhyme in Spanish about little elephants. The original rhyme in Spanish tells the story of 5 little elephants balancing on a spiderweb. First one elephant, then another, and another climb out onto the web. When the web finally snaps there is a big "Uuuuupa! with the break in the web centered over the large U at the beginning of the word (and over the capital O in the English "Ooooops!"). The English version tells the same story, also in rhyme. The illustrations are filled with pudgy gray elephants and a spider that resembles a fluffy pompom with wiggly eyes. 

Families and teachers looking for bilingual books (English/Spanish), have a new resource in Canticos from Susie Jaramillo. Their unique presentation sets them apart from others in that genre. If you have read others, then you are familiar with the different ways the text is arranged. Sometimes the text is written in one language on one page, then in the other language on the facing page. In other books, the languages alternate lines on the page. Both ways can seem a little overwhelming because you feel that you have to read all the words, and that can mean a lot of repetition. But the Canticos books are put together with an accordion fold that lets you read through the story in one language, then flip it and read back through in the other language. There are also interactive elements like flaps to peek beneath and wheels to spin. The text and illustrations form a recipe for fun and educational books for young readers.

I read an ebook provided by the publisher through NetGalley.