LitPick Review
¡Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish by Judy Martialay is a fantastic way to learn some Spanish and experience a little bit of the culture in Spanish-speaking countries. The best part of the book is that readers don’t have to know any Spanish to enjoy it. At the beginning, Pete the Pilot introduces Mexico and a story about Panchito, a Mexican jumping bean. It’s written in English with key words written in Spanish. The next time those words appear, they are written only in Spanish. This gives readers a chance to practice remembering what the words mean. In the “It’s Your Turn” section, readers learn a few new words and how to ask basic questions in Spanish while the "Culture Corner" section has interesting, fun facts to read. The book also has a skit that can be acted out, a Spanish song that can be sung, and mask patterns with instructions if readers would like to do a fun Mexican craft. The book ends with lists of all of the Spanish words that appear in each chapter and what they mean.
The book becomes an educational kit when readers explore the website and download the audio file that goes with it. www.polyglotkidz.com has all sorts of information about how and why we should learn languages at a young age. It has recipes, activity sheets, and even a board game with questions that can be printed out. The audio has Mrs. Martialay reading with a native Spanish speaker while guitar music plays on and off. Everything works together to create a special real-life Spanish experience. The web site also has information about Mrs. Martialay’s book for learning French if anyone is interested in that.
Opinion:
I had the best time reading and studying ¡Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish. It’s written for kids ages 6 to 10, so they can have a fun language experience. Even though I'm 13, I still think it’s a great way to take a break and “play around” with learning Spanish. I liked the simple, colorful pictures on every page as I read about Panchito, the Mexican jumping bean, traveling from a farmer’s field all the way to a piñata at a child’s birthday party. Reading the book, thinking about the food in the recipes on the web site, and listening to the audio made me feel like I really was part of Spanish culture. Most importantly, this book helped me realize being able to speak Spanish so people can understand me is just as important as recognizing what is said in the written words that I’ve been studying on my own for over a year now.
