Dias Y Dias: Days and Days (Bilingual Spanish/English)

Toddler-PreS-It is wintertime and children are playing in the snow. Then, the landscape changes to rain, flowers fill the ground, a rainbow appears on the sky, and soon enough summer has arrived. Guy offers a bilingual English and Spanish picture book about the seasons where the bold text teaches vocabulary words. This is an ideal book to share with a preschool class to talk about the months of the year and the seasons while the children tell the story guided by the images. The pastels of the full-color art bring a sense of serenity and pictorial delight as the illustrations change from one season to another, cavorting with layers of green, yellow, blue, pink, and brown. Each transition spread opens with the word "Entonces..." at the top of the verso and the English phrase, "And then..." at the bottom. VERDICT A dreamy and whimsical picture book that will capture preschoolers' attention and that may be used in a participatory storytime with a topic about the seasons and the months of the year. Perfect for public libraries and preschool classrooms.-Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA

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.)

"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. . . . Simple, sweet, and just right for readers looking for an early bilingual book." — Kirkus Reviews

"[An] appealing Spanish-English picture book focused on seasonal words . . . Simple, effective, and charming." — Publishers Weekly