 “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” the classic rhyme, has been transformed in this bilingual version which takes place in rural Peru. Each straightforward English verse is accompanied with the Spanish translation directly below, making this a perfect read-aloud. Readers are transported to Peru as they read the rhythmically flowing text and view warm gouache and ink illustrations. A wordless picture spread allows students to become authors, making up their own stories. Distinctive Peruvian features such as Andean dress, culture, and landscape are depicted. cc |
| Title: Maria Had A Little Llama (Maria Tenia Una Llamita) Author: Angela Dominguez Illustrator: Angela Dominguez Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, LLC Copyright: 2013 Original language: English ISBN: 978-0805093339 Hardcover pages: 28 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Peru Author’s ethnicity: Mexican Author’s residence: United States Awards: 2014 Pura Belpre Award (Illustrator Honor) Subjects: Animals, Bilingual, Llamas, Peru, Peruvian culture, South America, Spanish language, Stories in rhyme |
Maria Had A Little Llama (Maria Tenia Una Llamita)
Leave a reply
On Hal’s tenth birthday, he receives a dog that he calls Fleck from Easy Pets. He knows they will be friends for life. But no one tells him that Easy Pets is a rent-a-pet agency and that Fleck has to be returned. Hal and his friend Pippa run away to his grandparents with a pack of escapee dogs from Easy Pets. On their cross country adventures, they meet up with a circus, a detective, greedy adults, and wonderful friends. This light, fun story about Hal and his dog, loyalty, and determination has a happy ending. All of the dogs find the right owners to belong to. mjw
Death, a cute, robe-clad skull figure bearing a deep red tulip, comes to visit Duck in this quiet and strange picture book. They develop an unusual, but beautiful friendship. At the pond, Death gets chilled, and Duck comforts him. They climb a tree. Duck wonders about dying and the afterlife. She is not afraid. In the end, Duck dies and Death gently lays the tulip on her. Surrealistic mixed-media artwork and deadpan humor extend the tender treatment of this difficult topic. mjw
Adolescent Helene has been ostracized by girls who had once been her friends. They scribble insults on the school walls and snicker about her on the bus. Her escape is Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. When she goes on a camping trip with her class, she discovers an amazing red fox and a new friend, Geraldine. The mixed-media illustrations alternate between Helene’s sad, black-and-white world and Jane Eyre’s bold colorful English countryside. Helene’s world changes as she learns that she is worthy of friendship. mjw
Young Pedru, who lives in the village of Madune in Mozambique, loses his arm when a lion attacks him. As he recovers, he strengthens his drawing talent and his desire for revenge. He accompanies his father on a lion hunt and mistakenly kills a lion wearing a tracking collar. This leads him to a conservation research center where he learns to look at the relationship between lions and farmers in a different way. Black and white illustrations and simple language convey Pedru’s story. Helpful footnotes explain African flora and fauna. An afterward, “Living with Lions,” contains factual notes and information about the Niassa Carnivore Project of Mozambique. This book is the first in a series of books which combine real animals and conservation in fictional stories. mjw
Every morning, Igor has the flock of geese goose-stepping down to the pond. Poor little Zita is out of step and Igor kicks her out of the parade. Zita sets her own rhythmic pace and soon has all the other animals in the French farmyard following her be-bop beat. Comic, cartoon-like animals with expressive faces are painted in chalky colors. The endpapers show goose dance step floor patterns. mjw
Geoffrey the gangly giraffe has trouble making friends due to his clumsiness. He slips, stumbles, and splashes his way through the African Savannah. He has to stoop to meet the meerkats, elephants, and other animals who are all much shorter than he is. “Oh dear, Geoffrey,” is repeated various times. He is fed up. Then, some young monkeys ask for help getting to the top of the tree where he also befriends a group of birds who have been following him all along. Geoffrey realizes that he can make friends by standing tall and being himself. The author uses onomatopoetic language and a hint of humor to narrate this story. Gouache and collage illustrations help bring Geoffrey’s adorable awkwardness to life. jjr
Offering a fresh new take on the classic story, “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” this playful, rhyming picture book begins with a white-bearded sailor swallowing a krill. As he progressively swallows larger and larger sea creatures, a retelling of all the previously eaten animals is given. Simple, cheerful illustrations accompany the rhyming and repetition, making this a perfect read aloud. At the end of the story, a two-page spread depicts all the previously swallowed creatures and offers factual information about each one. cc
Charming crayon illustrations complement the story of an outcast penguin-rabbit hybrid. Little Benguin is rejected and feared by others on the tropical island due to his different appearance, causing his self-esteem to crash. One day, a hungry wolf appears and Little Benguin uses his superb skills of running and swimming, products of his mixed-species heritage, to lure the wolf away. This heroism is rewarded when his former tormentors throw a party in his honor. A contrived attempt to tackle racism and prejudice is present as the underlying message of the story hints that those who are perceived as unusual must prove their worthiness in order to blend in with the norm. cc
Zeraffa was a female giraffe who lived in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris for 18 years. She was a gift from Muhammad Ali of Egypt to King Charles X of France. Magical watercolor illustrations, with detailed decorative patterns bring exotic Zeraffa’s 2,000 mile journey down the Nile, three-week sail across the sea, and 550 mile walk across France to life. When she arrived in 1827, all of Paris fell in love with her. Bakers even baked giraffe biscuits. The beautiful, lush text creates a fairytale sense of wonder in this true story. An author’s note tells more about Zeraffa. mjw
Paul the goldfish swims in circles every day until Bernadette literally drops into his fish bowl. She shows Paul a whole new world beyond the curved glass of his bowl. A banana-shaped boat. A blue teapot mother elephant. A green alarm clock cactus. And a milk carton, orange juice bottle Milwaukee skyline. As Paul examines the intriguing world outside, he becomes equally captured by his new companion. Vibrant oil paintings bring this story about love, friendship, and an active imagination to life. mjw
When Noah discovers a mammoth in the refrigerator, his horrified mother quickly calls the fire department. The sly mammoth evades escape, runs through the streets, and finds safe haven in a tree. Much to the firefighters’ dismay, the ice age mammal refuses to come down and he is left in the tree until nighttime when Noah’s little sister, Elsa returns to stealthily lure her friend back into her bedroom with a bunch of carrots. With a last warning to her rebellious mammoth, Elsa climbs into bed surrounded by all of her secret far-fetched pets. Simple text and four-color, 1960’s era illustrations lead to a wildly humorous and clever conclusion. cc
OmniLibros 