Marta! Big & Small (English With Some Spanish)

by Jen Arena (Author) Angela Dominguez (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Marta is una niña, an ordinary girl . . . with some extraordinary animal friends!

As Marta explores the jungle, she knows she's bigger than a bug, smaller than an elephant, and faster than a turtle. But then she meets the snake, who thinks Marta is sabrosa--tasty, very tasty! But Marta is ingeniosa, a very clever girl, and she outsmarts the snake with hilarious results.

With simple Spanish and a glossary at the end, this fun read-aloud picture book, Marta! Big and Small, teaches little ones to identify opposites and animals and learn new words.

A School Library Journal Top 10 Latinx Book 2016

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Publishers Weekly

Arena and Dominguez nimbly combine an exploration of relativity with an introduction to Spanish vocabulary as una nina named Marta encounters various animals while exploring a junglelike setting. Though the text is minimal, Arena uses repetition and context clues to make each concept readily clear: "To a horse, Marta is lenta. Slow, very slow. To a turtle, Marta is rapida. Fast, very fast." Dominguez's loose, energetic illustrations underscore the meanings of each term and, during a run-in with a hungry snake, help demonstrate that Marta is--among other things--"ingeniosa. Clever, very clever." Ages 4-7. Author's agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary. Illustrator's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Aug.)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--Young readers are introduced to the Spanish words for some opposites and animals by Marta, a very clever nina. Arena uses the Spanish word within the English text and then proceeds to use the word again, this time in English, thereby making the meaning clear. For instance, "To a bug, Marta is grande. Big, very big." The Spanish word is always highlighted in orange. Dominguez's artwork provides pictorial reinforcement. Changes in perspective emphasize and help visualize the different opposites. Standing out against a white background, Dominguez's illustrations, done with colored pencils and bold outlines with an earthy palette of mainly browns and greens, introduce humor to what could otherwise be a dry book. There is even a little tension when Marta meets a serpent: "To a snake, Marta is sabrosa." On the spread that follows, there are three words and a picture of a snake: "Tasty, very tasty...." The snake encounter is also used as the moment to present the Spanish names of all the animals Marta came across. At the end there is a list of all the Spanish words and their English counterparts, but there is no pronunciation guide. VERDICT A cross between a concept book and a word book, this is a fun read-aloud to use anytime or in a bilingual storytime program.--Lucia Acosta, Children's Literature Specialist, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A cross between a concept book and a word book, this is a fun read-aloud to use anytime or in a bilingual storytime program." —School Library Journal

"With repetitive text and child-friendly illustrations, this wonderful read-aloud invites the younger set to experience the tension, relief, and satisfaction of a great plot." —School Library Journal, Top 10 Latinx 2016

"Arena's clever, catchy text might invite some play-acting games, and the lively energy of her
informative words is well matched by Dominguez' friendly, dynamic creatures in an earth-toned palette. This handy introduction to Spanish vocabulary is perfect for animal-lovers of all stripes." —Booklist

"Pura Belpré honoree Dominguez's green, brown, and tan illustrations capture the movement in each spread . . . Marta's adventure is an enjoyable way to introduce animals, observe concepts, and identify comparisons and polarities in English and en Español." —Kirkus Reviews

"Arena and Dominguez nimbly combine an exploration of relativity with an introduction to Spanish vocabulary." —Publisher's Weekly

"An ideal choice for bilingual storytimes." —The Bulletin

Jen Arena
Jen Arena has written over 50 books for kids. When she's not writing, editing, or hanging out at her local bookstore, you might find her driving around Tampa, Florida with the windows down.

Mike Dutton is a children's book illustrator, former Google doodler, and current art director at Tonko House animation studio. When not illustrating, he enjoys going on adventures with his family in a truck camper, which is named Holly Joliday, a spoonerism from their favorite film, Mary Poppins. Holly is over 20 years old, and in the seven years they've owned her, she has only had to visit the garage twice. The camper itself is exactly like Mary Poppins' carpetbag: It somehow fits everything--kitchen, bedroom, mini library, and all four family members at bedtime. When not on the road, they all reside in Berkeley, California.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781626722439
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Roaring Brook Press
Publication date
August 23, 2016
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
JUV009040 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Opposites
Library of Congress categories
Animals
English language
Hispanic Americans
Spanish language
Vocabulary
Synonyms and antonyms
Polarity

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