Review sponsored* by Judy Martialay
The Children’s Book Review | November 23, 2016
¡HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish
Written and Illustrated by Judy Martialay
Audio Version Narrated by Judy Martialay and Maria Fernanda Pardo
Age Range: 3 – 10 years
Paperback: 30 pages
Audiobook: 39 minutes
Publisher: PoliglotKidz Press
ISBN: 978-0-9911324-0-9
What to expect: Learning languages, multicultural exploration
Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish is a clever picture book with accompanying audiobook that helps teach children Spanish. Pete the Pilot introduces the story and explains that he will bring readers to Mexico, to learn about the country, its traditions and language. The book explores various facets of everyday life in Mexico and Spanish translations are included throughout the book. The accompanying audiobook is narrated by the author, Judy Martialay, and a native Spanish speaker, Maria Fernanda Pardo.
In addition to a story about a jumping bean, a song sung at birthday parties, mask making activities and other events that explore Mexican culture, author Judy Martialay includes activities that readers can conduct in their own home, supermarket or other locations. Readers are asked to look for globos (balloons), tomates (tomatoes), or sombreros (hats) around their home or at the market. She also lists daily expressions such as Que tal? (How are things?) or Caramba! (Darn it!) that readers can use and keep track of over the course of a week.
She also asks readers questions about Spanish-speaking cultures and instructs readers in such things as where Spanish is spoken, typical Spanish nicknames, popular foods in Mexico and how they are prepared, and local customs such as bargaining at food markets. In the audiobook, listeners can hear the same information in Spanish, connecting the English descriptions with their Spanish counterparts.
Written in English with key words translated into Spanish, Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish is an entertaining way to learn a different language, while also learning about different customs and cultures. The accompanying audiobook is a fun listening activity with musical interludes and fun information, and is sure to keep younger children amused while they are immersed in an educational activity.
Available Here:
Download free audio version at http://www.polyglotkidz.com
About The Author
Judy Martialay was born in Mount Vernon, New York, and received a BA from Mount Holyoke College and MA from Columbia University. She taught Foreign Language in elementary school, middle and high school. During and after retirement, she devoted time to public advocacy for foreign language education with the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers. Her dream is to give all children the opportunity to experience a foreign language as early as possible. Judy has traveled to Mexico, France, Spain, Italy, Algeria, China, Ethiopia, Greece, Israel and other countries. She loves guitar, oil painting, and gardening. She is currently studying Japanese. She lives in Sea Cliff, N.Y. with husband Javier, has two daughters and one granddaughter.
For more information, visit: http://www.polyglotkidz.com
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work.Judy Martialay, the author of “¡HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish,” sponsored* this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …
