Saturday, May 28, 2016

*Review* Little Chickies/Los Pollitos by Susie Jaramillo


Genre: Children's Illustrated/Bilingual
Published: April 26, 2016
Pages: 25

Synopsis

"Los Pollitos Dicen," or "Little Chickies Squeal" is one of the most popular songs in the Spanish speaking world, akin to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in English. This English adaptation of the song is as catchy and lyrical as the Spanish version and sure to engage new audiences not familiar with the original song. The song is an homage to the demanding nature of babies and the unconditional love, care, and warmth given to them by their mommies.


Review

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I've read a bilingual children's book where the story is told twice, once in each language. Usually both languages are included on a single illustration, so you read a short line in one language, then the same line in the other (in my experience). I personally prefer that approach, but that might be simply because I'm used to it. 

This story was short and cute. The illustrations were crisp and colorful. I can't speak to the accuracy of the Spanish version though because I don't remember much from my high school Spanish classes. However, having seen that the story was originally a Spanish lullaby, I feel that it is probably safe to assume that it's accurate, although the English translation may have been adjusted slightly for rhyme and cadence (which are excellent in English. My Spanish pronunciations are a little rusty at this point too.) 

My five year old really liked the little chickies and thinks that they're cute. 

Overall I give Little Chickies 5 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

Susie Jaramillo is an artist, creator, brand builder and mom raising 2 bilingual children. Jaramillo majored in painting and illustration at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and recently left the advertising world after a successful 15+ year career to apply her brand building and storytelling skills to the world of family entertainment and education. 

"As a Latina mom exposed to songs and traditions from both the US and my native Venezuela, I've had a hard time finding books and apps of the nursery rhymes I grew up with," says Brooklyn-based author-artist Susie Jaramillo. "In talking to people in both Latino and non-Latino communities, I realized this was missing from bookshelves and digital platforms everywhere."

To bring to life all the things she loved about her Latino culture, she created Canticos so kids of all ages can enjoy these nursery rhymes and songs.  "In addition to promoting bilingual/multilingual learning," she adds, "we hope the books, apps and videos also promote a sense of community and connect kids, especially Latino kids, to their culture."

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