Month: February 2017

In Chinese only, 0-8yo.

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of China’s great holidays, thousands of people return to their home in the country to attend the festivities.

You will enjoy the festival through a little girl’s eyes. Together the family will cook and prepare a traditional delicacy ‘zongzi’. Then, they will make necklaces and get ready to watch the dragon boat race. Her Grandfather is the helmsman of a dragon boat.

Later, as the family celebrates the victory of Grampa’s team, we know the city-dwelling girl will want to return, not only for the festivities and the food, but also to spend another good time with her grandparents.

It is a story about one of the most popular festivals in China and spending quality time with own’s family.

For more information click here.

 

It is a short but powerful novel. The story is told from Grace and Jewel’s perceptives, respectively the mother and the oldest daughter.

Grace checked herself in in a mental institution leaving her daughters with an abusive father. Jewel will do anything in her power to protect her little sister but she is so young herself. People say that the apple does not fall far from the tree. As time goes by Jewel is determined to prove that this is not right.

In French only, from 12yo.

Click here for more information.

 

 

In Portuguese for YA.

It is the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a French man, who has an extraordinary sense of smell and naturally becomes a perfumer. One day he meets a young woman who has a wondrous smell and he kills her so he can keep her smells for himself.

He later becomes disgusted by the scent of humanity and decides to leave for the mountain. After a while he decides to go back to the city and starts a series of murders.

The perfume was a best seller for 9 years and has been translated into 48 languages.

For more information click here.

 

In Italian, from 10yo.

Millions of readers have been moved by Anne Frank’s diary. During the Nazi occupation, she and her family, went into hiding for 2 years. They hid in the upper rooms of the father’s factory, the entrance was concealed with a movable bookcase.

When discovered they were deported to Nazi concentration camps. Only Otto, the father survived the war.

This is a sad and realistic tale of Ann’s everyday life despite having to hide.

For more information click here.

 

In Spanish only, 8-12yo.

Rita is a young girl who loves to collect things but she is also always scared. Scared of being too bad at playing games so the other children would not want to play with her anymore or too good and make the other kids jealous of her.

Her grandmother is her best friend and she is not afraid of anything, she does not care about hat other people say or think, she dresses in colourful clothes, let her long hair down…. and she keeps telling Rita to live her life and be happy.

Rita’s life changes the day her grandmother passes. Will she overcome her fears?

It is a sweet story about self-awareness, finding one’s place in the society and a sense of belonging.

First readers will love the story and the large letters easy to read.

For more information click here.

Children like repetition. They like to be read the same story time and time again. It is a good way to memorise new vocabulary and understand the complexity and subtleties of a story.

This is why bilingual books are great resources for language learning and literacy skills building. Not only both parents can read the same story in different languages but the child is exposed to twice the vocabulary. Parents can discuss the storyline with the children in both languages.

Another advantage is you can just read the text in your own language when you are tired, you do not have to translate from English. However remember to keep that special moment interesting and stimulating.

Our bilingual Spanish – English books include several adventures of the cheeky monkey Curious George, i.e. ‘at the aquarium’, ‘plants a seed’, ‘at the dance party’, ‘at the gymnastics’….,

of the bubbly Bear, i.e. ‘Bear on a bike’, ‘Bear under the sun’, ‘Bear in a square’,

and of the sweet dog Martha, e.g. ‘Martha toys trouble’, ‘Martha speaks’.

More dual language books here or simply ask us.

 

In Spanish only, from 0yo.

This book offers shortened versions of your favourite classic tales which can be read in 5 minutes. Ideal for bedtime. You will love the revised endings and the beautiful illustrations.

Some of the stories are:

‘The Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Hansel & Gretel’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘The Princess and the Pea’, ‘Puss in Boots’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Snow White’ and ‘The ugly duckling’.

For more details click here.

In Chinese only, from 0yo.

Baby Mouse is so unhappy with his mom that he decides to find another one. Will mommies elephant, hippo, bear, crocodile, kangaroo do?

Follow Baby Mouse’s quest for a new mom in this beautifully illustrated love story.

For more information click here.