review: My Big Book of Spanish Words

My Big Book of Spanish Words written and illustrated by Rebecca Emberley. Little, Brown, 2008 (978-0-316-11803-3) $8.99 board

A typical word book, this one stands out a bit in the crowd because of the vibrancy of its illustrations. Each oversized page features common childhood words in English and Spanish, in categories like "My Colors/Mis colores" and "My room/Mi cuarto." The names of the items are given in thin letters in English and fatter letters in the same color in Spanish, an eye-catching design touch. Cut-paper pictures of the items are simple and easily recognizable, but the bright colors, vivid small details and casual looking layout give them verve. I especially liked the animals page, which features a demure looking cat, a slightly suspicious dog and a pig happily flopped on its bottom. (6 months-3)