BOOK REVIEW

CHRISTMAS CAROLS IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH

By Donna Maria Chandler

NEW YORK, 13 DECEMBER 2007— Dr. Alma Flor Ada, noted bilingual educator and children’s author, has collaborated with F. Isable Campoy and Rosalma Zubzaretta, to document Spanish Christmas carols from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. Merry Navidad! Christmas in Spanish and English is an excellent bilingual book for independent readers and has wider applications for use with younger and older children.

The beauty of this book is that it provides children with a context of Spanish Christmas traditions in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain focused on family and the birth of the Christ Child. Vivi Escriva’s watercolor illustrations are appealing and support the text allowing children to tell the story using the pictures. What is outstanding about the illustrations is that the artist has captured the diversity of Spanish people in their range of skin tones and hair colors.

Merry Navidad! Christmas in Spanish and English is an important contribution that documents Spanish Christmas carols plus provides families with wonderful Spanish carols, and English translations, that they can sing together to celebrate the Christmas season.

Merry Navidad!: Christmas Carols in Spanish and English / Villancicos en espanol e ingles
By Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Vivi Escriva (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 64 pages
Rayo; Bilingual edition (September 25, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0060584343
ISBN-13: 978-0060584344
$16.99

Donna Maria Chandler is an international educator. Her work has taken her to Bangladesh, India, South Africa, Egypt and El Salvador. Formerly with the Sesame Workshop, she specializes in children's books and media literacy. She last wrote on board books for very young children.

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