Stories for the Telling
Libros para contar
SERIES DESCRIPTION
This series is composed of 5 books, in separate versions in English and Spanish. There is a CD with all English stories and one with all Spanish stories, or individual cassettes for each title.
The books published both in regular size and in Big Book format, have been beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Viví Escrivá. Her attractive illustrations are both whimsical and tender.
The books are:
- Friends | Amigos
- How Happy I Would Be | Me gustaría tener
- Strange Visitors | Una extraña visita
- The Song of the Teeny Tiny Mosquito | El canto del mosquito
- Who’s Hatching Here? | ¿Quién nacerá aquí?
One of the books, Friends, has also been published in Haitian Creole as Zanmi.
CDS AND CASSETTES DESCRIPTION
There is a special value to listening to a books read by the author. Such recordings show just where the author wishes to convey feelings and emotions, emphasis and suspense. When the text is put to music it acquires additional interest for children.
The special nature of each of these books led to very different and exciting recordings of each one. Friends or Amigos — This powerful tale of celebration of diversity has been read both in English and in Spanish by Alma Flor Ada. The listeners of the recording in Spanish will have a complementary experience. Alma Flor has rewritten the story in verse and Suni Paz has created music for the version in verse. Her beautiful performance gives additional charm to this poignant story of multicultural understanding.
How Happy I Would Be or Me gustaría tener — Suni Paz has created original music for this cumulative book of rhyming words. Her whimsical rendition will charm all listeners.
The Song of the Teeny Tiny Mosquito or El canto del mosquito -– The original music created by Suni Paz compliments this whimsical cumulative tale. Her vivid performance captures the listener’s imagination until it seems that the mosquito is buzzing right in our ears.
Strange Visitors -– In this cumulative tale different animals appear each day of the week, each playing a different instrument until they all join in a wonderful Sunday jarana. The recording, done by a talented duo of a mother and her young daughter, presents the instruments in a joyful way that will facilitate that children learn to recognize their sound. The young listeners can join the daughter in her responses making the listening an interactive experience.
Who’s Hatching Here or ¿Quién nacerá aquí? – This predictable book invites children to guess, through the clues in the rhyming text, who will be the next animal hatching from a certain group of eggs. On her performance of the music Suni created for this book she incorporates special sound effects to contribute to the predictable clues.
These extraordinary recordings have been produced in individual cassettes in English and Spanish, one for each book of the series, and in Haitian Creole for Zanmi. There is also a CD in English and one in Spanish. Each of the CDs contains the five books of the series.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The five books of this series are some of my best well known books among bilingual teachers and their students. They are also very dear to my heart for several reasons: the reception they have received, the magnificent art by Viví Escrivá and the very inspired recordings.
Friends or Amigos was the first book I published with SantillanaUSA, which has later published so much of my work. The message of this book has led to many significant conversations with children about the destructive effects of prejudice and racism and the importance of developing respect for all human beings.
Teachers constantly comment on the fact that many of the stories lend themselves to present or support curricular themes without loosing their interest as wonderful literature.
THEMES, VALUES AND LANGUAGE REPRESENTED
Themes
- Animals: How Happy I Would Be, Strange Visitors, Who is Hatching Here?, The Song of the Teeny-Tiny Mosquito
- Animal Sounds: Who is Hatching Here?
- Birds, Eggs: Who is Hatching Here?
- Butterfly Metamorphosis: Who is Hatching Here?
- Days of the Week: Strange Visitors
- Colors: Friends
- Food Cycle: The Song of the Teeny-Tiny Mosquito
- Geometrical Shapes: Friends
- Insects: The Song of the Teeny-Tiny Mosquito
- Music, musical instruments: Strange Visitors
- Numbers: Strange Visitors
- Sizes: Friends
Values
- Diversity, Multiculturalism: Friends
- Collaboration, Solidarity, Friendship: Friends
- Musical Joy : Strange Visitors
- Problem Solving: Friends
Reading and Language Skills
- Rhyme: How Happy I Would Be, Strange Visitors, Who is Hatching Here?, The Song of the Teeny-Tiny Mosquito
- Prediction: Friends, Who is Hatching Here?
- Counting: Strange Visitors
READERS’ RESPONSES
If you have enjoyed reading or sharing these books, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.
