In this bilingual version of a traditional Mexican counting song, an ever growing herd of elefantitos plays on a spider's web.It works out better than one might think, at least at first. "One / little elephant / balanced oh so elegant / right on the web of a spider…" begins the rhyming text on verso, while on recto a smiling gray elephant improbably balances on a line of spider silk strung across the page. A big, blue numeral 1 floats in the air next to it, while below is printed the refrain: "Along came a friend, from around the bend / and the elephant called to invite her." A blue-and-white-striped pull-tab allows readers to cock the elephant's head at the yet-unseen elephant on its way. It all goes well from one through five, but that sixth elephant results in a snapped line, a startled-looking spider, and a spread-spanning green "Ooooops!" As with Jaramillo's earlier Los Pollitos / Little Chickies (2016), the book is constructed concertina-fashion, with the same illustrations but the original, Spanish text on the other side: "Un elefante / se balanceaba / sobra la tela / de una araña… // Como veía, que resistía, / fue a llamar a otro elefante." The pull-tabs all work smoothly, and the numerals and pull-tab stripes change color along the spectrum as the book proceeds. Another design success for Jaramillo and the lucky babies who are given this book. (Board book. 1-3)

In this bilingual version of a traditional Mexican counting song, an ever growing herd of elefantitos plays on a spider's web.It works out better than one might think, at least at first. "One / little elephant / balanced oh so elegant / right on the web of a spider…" begins the rhyming text on verso, while on recto a smiling gray elephant improbably balances on a line of spider silk strung across the page. A big, blue numeral 1 floats in the air next to it, while below is printed the refrain: "Along came a friend, from around the bend / and the elephant called to invite her." A blue-and-white-striped pull-tab allows readers to cock the elephant's head at the yet-unseen elephant on its way. It all goes well from one through five, but that sixth elephant results in a snapped line, a startled-looking spider, and a spread-spanning green "Ooooops!" As with Jaramillo's earlier Los Pollitos / Little Chickies (2016), the book is constructed concertina-fashion, with the same illustrations but the original, Spanish text on the other side: "Un elefante / se balanceaba / sobra la tela / de una araña… // Como veía, que resistía, / fue a llamar a otro elefante." The pull-tabs all work smoothly, and the numerals and pull-tab stripes change color along the spectrum as the book proceeds. Another design success for Jaramillo and the lucky babies who are given this book. (Board book. 1-3)

Toddler-PreS Following her wonderful Los pollitos/Little Chickies , Jaramillo returns with a beautiful adaptation of another well-loved traditional song for children. This accordion-style interactive board book features the nursery song in Spanish on one side and its English translation on the other. As an elephant balances on the web of a spider and finds the web holds strong, it invites another elephant to join in. The cumulative song goes up to five elephants balancing on the web in this sweetly illustrated book. The English translation changes the original lyrics somewhat to fit the tune, but the spirit of the song remains the same. Both versions have identical layouts and illustrations, and thanks to the concertina format, neither language takes precedence over the other. The cartoon-style elephants are appropriately gray and stand out against a white background, with the spider's thread going across the page (the spider makes an occasional appearance), and the lyrics are simply and clearly displayed, accompanied by their corresponding number in a different color. The work has sturdy, turn-the-wheel effects that will send the elephants' heads and trunks swaying, much to the delight of little hands. And the spider's web? Well, of course it will break in the end! VERDICT Perfect for bilingual storytime programs and any bookshelf. Lucia Acosta, Children's Literature Specialist, NJ