¡Hola!: a great new book for children to learn Spanish

¡Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish with Pete the Pilot and Panchito by Judy Martialay is a fun and adventurous story through Mexico as the reader is introduced to vocabulary in Spanish. Panchito is a Mexican jumping bean and he is on an adventure to find friends. As he travels through various locations in Mexico, he introduces the basics of conversation, names, places, food and much more. The Spanish words are in bold and the English words are presented only at the first time a new word is introduced. Each time after that, only the Spanish word will be used. The book has fun games and puzzles to further teach the readers the Spanish words. For instance, a Treasure hunt can be played to find the items in Spanish around the house as well as a skit to practice a conversation in Spanish. The book also includes an online resource for pronunciation help and a Parents page for downloadable versions of the games for further practice.

I was approached by Ms. Martialay about reviewing ¡Hola! and I jumped at the chance. My husband and I have been trying to teach our daughter Spanish. I’m currently learning while my husband grew up speaking both Spanish and English. I have been looking for new ways to introduce Spanish to my daughter. While the book is recommended for children ages 6-10, my daughter, who is 4, enjoyed hearing the story as Panchito searched for new friends. I enjoyed the presentation of the Spanish words and the resource of an online Audio pronunciation help. I loved the games that the book presents as a great way to integrate the Spanish words into the reader’s everyday life. I highly recommend ¡Hola! for any family and classroom libraries. It is a great resource for children and adults who wishes to learn because you are never too young or too old to learn a new language.

¡Hola! is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

in print and on the Kindle

If you were me and lived in...China: book review

Another great addition to the If you were me and lived in…series is here! Now we get a glimpse into life in China.  We get a geography lesson about the area which makes of the country such as the rivers, desert and grassland areas. China was founded by the Qin Dynasty over two thousand years ago. We learn about the capital city, Beijing, as the center of political, cultural and educational center.  We learn the popular names for boys and girls and endearments for Mom and Dad. We visit the great sites of China such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. We also learn about the regional food. Mandarin in the north, Cantonese in the south, and Szechuan in the southwest.  As well as holidays and festivals popular in Chinese culture.

I love this series. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This series is a great and engaging way to introduce children to the various cultures around the world. I love that this book gives an interesting look into China. I highly recommend this book and the other titles in this series for any family and classroom.