These Spanish board book editions catch both the rhythm and rhyme of the English-language originals. Translating a rhyming text is an extremely difficult challenge, but Mlawer has brought her magic to bear, giving Brown Bear and Polar Bear their own vivid life in Spanish. Carle's illustrations are well suited to this smaller format. [Review covers these titles: Oso pardo, oso pardo, ¿qué ves ahí? and Oso polar, oso polar, ¿qué es ese ruido?.]

PreS-This contemporary classic loses nothing in its translation. Both text and illustration merge beautifully to captivate the attention of beginning readers. Carle's vibrant double-page collage illustrations fascinate, while Mlawer's translation retains the melodic quality of the original question-and-response text. The repetitive format of the book makes learning the names of the colors and animals an enjoyable experience. This fine-quality Spanish translation is an engagingly interactive read-aloud for both groups and one-on-one sharing.-Zahra Baird, Scarsdale Public Library, NY