WHAT IS YOUR LANGUAGE?
by Debra Leventhal & illustrated by Monica Wellington
A visual explication of a song Leventhal has recorded on an album (The Babysitters' Menagerie), introducing ``Yes'' and ``No'' in ten languages. Wellington's bright, childlike illustrations begin with a boy packing a suitcase and boarding a plane; doublespread scenes picture busy children in countries evoked by key images (Big Ben, sushi, sled dogs, zebras) and, sometimes, national costumes (lederhosen). The simple four-line verse is repeated with only the language and its word for ``yes'' changing: ``...My language is Arabic./This is the way it sounds: na'aam na'aam [six times].'' Adults may find the persistent chant monotonous, but the book does offer a first taste of languages and their variety. Accentuating the positive, ``yes'' is always featured; words for ``no'' appear at the end, as does the simple tune. Slight, but cheerful. (Picture book. 2-6)