FIRST 100 WORDS

Familiar objects identified in both English and Spanish expand toddlers’ and preschoolers’ bilingual vocabularies.

The first spread introduces eight characters, or personajes, mostly cartoon animals—a spider, an elephant, a bunny, a hen, three chicks (Nicky, Kiki, and Ricky), and Pin Pon, who looks human but is described as a “cardboard cutout/muñeco de cartón.” Nicky wears glasses, and Kiki sports a pink hair bow; Pin Pon has brown skin and a Troll-like tuft of orange hair. These cheery caricatures interact within 11 common settings or themes: nature, transportation, school, sports, music, beach, ocean, party, home, kitchen, and bedroom. At least seven and up to 11 objects typically found in each environment are named in both languages. English is always first, with the Spanish translation in a smaller, italicized type. As with most first-word books, the number of objects is somewhat daunting. The youngest board-book consumers may not sit still for more than a couple page turns, but the bright art, recurring characters, and familiar objects make picking up the activity again later fairly likely. The dual-language labels placed in proximity to the illustrations make it clear what item is being described. There is no pronunciation guide for non-native speakers in either language.

A fun way to practice naming objects in two languages.