cover image Sing with Me/Canta Conmigo: Six Classic Songs in English and Spanish

Sing with Me/Canta Conmigo: Six Classic Songs in English and Spanish

José-Luis Orozco, illus. by Sara Palacios. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-338-12118-6

Six tunes “steeped in the tradition of classic children’s songs of the United States” are thoughtfully translated into Spanish by children’s musician Orozco. The translations sit side by side on the page, making it easy for readers learning the song in either language to cross-reference while building their vocabulary. Orozco adds his voice in an author’s note about the importance of both multilingualism and music to child development. Pura Belpré Honoree Palacios’s cheery, scribble-textured illustrations follow two joyful brown-skinned children as they move through inclusive communities in a day peppered with the selected songs: in the classroom (“The ABC”/ “El ABC”), on their commute (“The Wheels on the Bus”/ “Las Ruedas Del Camión”), and at home on a farm (“Old McDonald”/ “Juancho Pancho”). A small but mighty assortment of childhood’s greatest hits, and a welcome resource for any bilingual bookshelf. Ages 4–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]