Animal Talk

Animals that live in one country don’t always talk the same language as animals from somewhere else. Take a rooster, for instance. In English-speaking countries, he says cock-a-doodle-doo when he has a notion to announce himself or to greet the dawn. But in Spanish-speaking countries, he says ki-kiri-ki. Emerging readers will delight in identifying the animals depicted on each new page. And the bilingual text invites parent and child into an interactive and playful reading experience for acting out animal sounds in English and Spanish.Craftsman Rubi; Fuentes and Efrai;n Broa from the Mexican state of Oaxaca fill the pages of Animal Talk with vibrant, wildly imaginative figures of familiar animals.Animal Talk is the fifth book in Cynthia Weill’s charming First Concepts in Mexican Folk Art series. It is her passion to promote the work of artisans from around the world through early concept books.

Quick, Little Monkey!

When Little Monkey’s curiosity causes her to slip and fall to the dark, shadowy rainforest floor, she must hide because an ocelot is looking for lunch. Thanks to Papa, Little Monkey knows what to do to stay safe. This adventure will enthrall readers as Little Monkey faces one challenge after another and will also teach them about the lives of pygmy marmoset monkeys, the smallest monkeys in the world.

Near, Far

No words are needed in this striking and colorful exploration of animal shapes. Bold graphic forms create a playful exercise in visual perception. At first glance, that green bump might be a grassy hill. But we’re too close to be sure. Step back (turn the page) to see a little more. Now there are two green loopy humps. What could it be? Turn one more page to reveal — of course, the squiggles of a snake! Preschoolers will see animals in a new way when they look from both near and far.