La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Niños (English With Some Spanish)

Toddler-PreS--A playful collection that interweaves Spanish words into classic Mother Goose rhymes in English. With everything from "Maria Had a Little Oveja" to "Twinkle Twinkle Small Estrella," Elya presents the familiar rhymes with a twist, following her usual formula of interlingual rhyming text. The Spanish words are presented in bold and italics, and the sentence construction follows an unnatural form of code-switching that doesn't speak to the authenticity of bilingual and Spanish-speaking readers. The book's forte is Martinez-Neal's soft and delightful illustrations, which capture the sweetness and warmth of the tales. Using a variation of single pages and spreads, the illustrator makes the most of each page to enhance the visual experience of children by adding playful characters, Spanish words, and friendly animals. A glossary is appended, which includes the Spanish words used, their pronunciation, and their meaning in English, with the goal of introducing English speakers to Spanish words that are not traditionally used in interlingual picture books. For those interested in a more successful Latino parallel of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy's Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury is recommended. VERDICT An optional purchase for library collections.--Sujei Lugo, Boston Public Library, MA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Elya reinterprets 18 classic nursery rhymes, incorporating Spanish vocabulary into offerings like "Three Little Gatitos" (who have lost their mitoncitos) and "Little Miss Amarilla," who "sat in her silla,/ eating her beans and arroz." Debut illustrator Martinez-Neal contributes ultra-cozy mixed-media scenes featuring multiethnic children and anthropomorphic animals. In one of the most successful reworkings, rabbit spouses nuzzle happily near their brand-new pumpkin home: "Peter, Peter Calabaza,/ got a wife for his new casa./ When she saw the round casita/ she repainted it--bonita!" Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Victoria Wells Arms, Wells Arms Literary. Illustrator's agent: Stefanie Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. (July)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Elya even gives old rhymes new, culturally relevant makeovers. . . . Martinez-Neal's softly textured illustrations combine acrylics and colored pencils to beautiful effect. Scenes spill across single- and double-page spreads, sweetly bringing the rhymes to life. Martinez-Neal's talent is perhaps best represented in the diverse faces of the children she draws, whose genuine emotions pair perfectly with the rhymes they accompany. A lovely multicultural addition to the nursery rhyme shelf.—Booklist

Susan Middleton Elya instigates linguistic playfulness . . . by plaiting English nursery rhymes with bold-faced words in Spanish. . . . Soft-edged, softly colored illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal give this picture book a cozy feel.—Wall Street Journal

Elya reinterprets 18 classic nursery rhymes, incorporating Spanish vocabulary into offerings like 'Three Little Gatitos' (who have lost their mitoncitos) and 'Little Miss Amarilla, ' who 'sat in her silla, / eating her beans and arroz.' Debut illustrator Martinez-Neal contributes ultra-cozy mixed-media scenes featuring multiethnic children and anthropomorphic animals.—Publishers Weekly

Elya presents the familiar rhymes with a twist, following her usual formula of interlingual rhyming text. . . The book's forte is Martinez-Neal's soft and delightful illustrations, which capture the sweetness and warmth of the tales. . . A glossary is appended, which includes the Spanish words used, their pronunciation, and their meaning in English, with the goal of introducing English speakers to Spanish words that are not traditionally used in interlingual picture books.—School Library Journal