Numbers 1 to 100

April 1, 2021

PreS-K-With each of these new additions to the "Canticos Bilingual Firsts" series, young readers explore early concepts such as shapes/patterns, numbers, feelings, and opposites. Each element is featured in both English and Spanish, but not always equally. In Feelings and Opposites, the English terms are large and in color, whereas the terms in Spanish are in a smaller white font. In Numbers 1-100, both English and Spanish are introduced in the same color and font, but the numerals and their Spanish names are revealed when the flap is lifted. The flap element is also available in Feelings, but not the other two titles. The vocabulary in Shapes and Patterns is somewhat complex for babies-the intended audience-and more appropriate for preschoolers. Terms such as "herringbone," "harlequin," and "rhombus" will more successfully enrich a four-year-old's vocabulary. The lack of a pronunciation guide in either language can be offset by accessing material online. Apart from Feelings, at 26 pages, the other three run to more hefty dimensions, which may prove to be a problem for small hands. Jaramillo's brand is reinforced everywhere, from the familiar Disneyesque characters from her previous titles to the link on each cover to the franchise's site. VERDICT The dearth of bilingual educational material will nonetheless attract audiences to this series.-Mary Margaret Mercado, Pima County P.L., Tucson, AZ

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2021
Young children learn to count from one to 100 in both English and Spanish. Readers familiar with other books in the Canticos family will recognize some of the animals making appearances here, though that familiarity is not required in order to appreciate this book. Brightly hued chicks, elephants, rabbits, spiders, frogs, and others, all with distinctly anthropomorphized and babyish looks, introduce the numbers, counting from one to 10, then by tens to 50, and then 100. Both the numeric symbols and the written words are presented in simple and straightforward double-page spreads, all including the never-miss toddler crowd pleaser: a lift-the-flap window. "3 / Three chickies"; "5 / Five spiders"; "10 / Ten bubbles"; "50 / Fifty apples"; "100 / One hundred raindrops." Upon lifting the flap, readers find the Spanish version underneath: "3 / Tres pollitos"; "5 / Cinco ara�as"; "10 / Diez burbujas"; "50 / Cincuenta manzanas"; "100 / Cien gotas de lluvia." There is little that is surprising or sparks the imagination in the presentation, but it does the job of introducing the numbers in both languages. Rather than sharing it with babies, adults may find the book better used as a language teaching device with older preschoolers that have an understanding of quantity and numbers and can already count in one or the other language. There is no pronunciation guide for either language, so familiarity with both is assumed. Sweet yet unremarkable. (Board book. 3-5)

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