ALA Booklist
(Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Like their Siesta (2005) and ¡Fiesta! (2007), Guy and Moreno's bilingual picture book teaches basic Spanish terms using familiar concepts. Over the course of 12 months, diverse children and their families (plus a menagerie of animals) blissfully coexist in the splendor of each season. In "Enero. Frebrero. Marzo," children play in the snow while llamas and doggies enjoy the outdoors. After all the seasons conclude, the start of a new year arrives, helping learners grasp transitions and new beginnings. A repetitive structure (transitions are always prefaced by "Entonces . . . / And then . . . ") and English translations appearing beneath Spanish words will help readers make sense of the concepts and language, and the soft, color-pencil illustrations emphasize the words with visual cues. An inviting primer on Spanish and seasons.
Kirkus Reviews
Following ¡Bravo! (2010) and others, Guy and Moreno team up again to take readers through a year and its changing seasons.The year and its seasons are presented according to a pleasing, repetitive pattern. The season is named in both Spanish and English, then three words that typify the weather of the season are introduced in each language. A refrain that shows the passage of time simply states: "DÃas y dÃas y dÃas. / Days and days and days." And finally the three months usually associated with the season are named. Each new season is introduced with a simple "Entonces⦠/ And thenâ¦." The soft-edged pastel illustrations make a nice counterbalance to the minimal, bilingual text by filling each page with details that capture the essence of each season. The full-bleed, double-page spreads show two children that appear to be siblings, fully enjoying all that each season brings. Sledding in winter, strolling under umbrellas in spring rain, reading perched on the branch of a shady tree in summer, playing in leaves in fall. The two children have brown skin and dark hair; other children and adults depicted have a range of skin tones. In tune with the patterned text, the illustrations too have a repeated scene of a home with a pond next to a barn with alpacas.Simple, sweet, and just right for readers looking for an early bilingual book. (Picture book. 2-5)
Publishers Weekly
(Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
A small child sits on a sled, bundled in an orange parka, while a slightly bigger child (perhaps a sibling) kneels to help tie a scarf. The gesture is infused with warmth, and a similar generosity pervades the pages of this appealing Spanish-English picture book focused on seasonal words. Readers follow the two brown-skinned children through Moreno-s sunny pastel illustrations as they sled, splash in puddles, chase fireflies, and pick apples. English words appearing below their Spanish words to indicate the seasons, the months, and the weather: -Fresco. Neblina. Viento./ Cool. Fog. Wind.- And the simple refrain -Días y días y días./ Days and days and days- appears throughout, introducing the months that comprise each season. A visual glossary offers additional vocabulary for seasonally appropriate clothing and accessories. Simple, effective, and charming. Ages 3-8. (Aug.)