Amelia's Show-and-Tell Fiesta / Amelia y la fiesta de muestra y cuenta (Spanish and English Edition) [Hardcover]

Mimi Chapra (Author), Martha Aviles (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2004 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

At her very first show-and-tell, Amelia may have made a mistake, a mistake muy grande. Seeing a basket filled with all sorts of small objects makes Amelia worry -- ay, she has brought the wrong item to share with her new classmates. The most precious thing of all from her island home may not be the right thing in her new American school.

Amelia's Show-and-Tell Fiesta is a heartwarming bilingual story for every young child who has ever been a newcomer.

Es su primer día de "muestra y cuenta" y Amelia piensa que ha cometido un error, un error muy grande. Mirando la canasta llena de objetos pequeños, Amelia se preocupa -- ay, ha traído una cosa muy extraña para mostrar a su nueva clase. Esa cosa tan preciosa de su isla querida, tal vez no sea la más apropiada en su nueva escuela americana.

amelia y la fiesta de "muestra y cuenta", un cuento bilingüe encantador, es ideal para cualquier niño que alguna vez ha sido un recién llegado.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–Amelia, an enthusiastic new student in her American school, is more than ready for her first show-and-tell. She dons her beautiful fiesta dress with the three fancy skirts that reminds her of her Cuban homeland. However, when she sees the show-and-tell basket on the teacher's desk full of small items that the other students have brought, she feels as though she's made a horrible mistake. How an understanding teacher and interested classmates help Amelia to tell about her dress makes for a satisfying if slightly predictable story. The Spanish translation errs a bit on the side of the literal, but is generally correct, if uninspired. The English text has a lilt and cadence enhanced by the use of Spanish phrases embedded in it. The bright acrylic illustrations are vibrant and appealing, displaying busy scenes full of things to pore over. Use this with Anne Rockwell's Show & Tell Day (HarperCollins, 1997) for a look at an American primary-grade tradition.
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Review

“The English text has a lilt and cadence enhanced by the use of Spanish phrases embedded in it.” (School Library Journal )

“The bright acrylic illustrations are vibrant and appealing, displaying busy scenes full of things to pore over.” (School Library Journal )

“Sweet–tempered and inviting, Chapra’s debut zereos in on a common emotion, while also introducing Amelia’s Cuban culture …” (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1 edition (May 25, 2004)
• Language: Spanish, English
• ISBN-10: 006050255X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060502553
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #672,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute, January 13, 2008

By 

Dr. Joan E. Aitken "author of Interpersonal C... (Kansas City, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amelia's Show-and-Tell Fiesta / Amelia y la fiesta de muestra y cuenta (Spanish and English Edition) (Hardcover)

Genre & Age
Realistic stories. Young elementary picture book.

Summary
A Cuban immigrant girl is excited about her new school in the US. When Amelia wears a dress for show and tell, she is embarrassed because she didn't understand the concept of show and tell. She is in a class of students from around the world. The book is written in English and Spanish. The teacher helps Amelia solve the problem.

Illustrations
Beautiful and colorful illustrations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Que pasa?" she wonders. "I'm the only one in costume!", June 25, 2006

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amelia's Show-and-Tell Fiesta / Amelia y la fiesta de muestra y cuenta (Spanish and English Edition) (Hardcover)

Amelia is excited the first day in her new American classroom, with friends to meet and a teacher who announces that tomorrow is Show and Tell. All the way home, Amelia tries to decide what will be appropriate for the assignment and finally she settles on her fiesta dress with its three fancy skirts: "First rojo whips around her hips like red hot peppers; Amarillo swirls about her knees like a sea of yellow corn; Blanco circles her feet like a flock of white doves." Dressed the next morning in her fiesta finery, Amelia cannot wait to show her class the dress; but when she enters the classroom, no one is dressed up. The students all look the same as yesterday and here is Amelia, so different from everyone else.

When another little girl asks what Amelia has brought for Show and Tell, she points to a large basket on the teacher's desk filled with treasures: a clay elephant from India, a handmade truck and a carp-shaped kite. Called upon to share, Amelia has nothing to say, embarrassed; but suddenly "her twirling skirts spring to life in a samba, a tango, a rumba" as Amelia gleefully describes how people love fiestas on her island home, enjoying hours of dancing in the streets. The children clap in approval and Amelia is no longer an outsider, part of the wonderful new world of her classroom.

Besides the helpful bilingual format, this book is especially sensitive to a child's fear of otherness in a strange situation, resolving the potential conflict in a positive manner by embracing and celebrating differences. The brilliant illustrations that accompany the text bring Amelia to life, her dark curly hair, sparkling eyes, her happiness, then confusion, her three-layered dress and the dancing skirts that help her remember her proud origins to share with her classmates. Uplifting and positive, this is a lovely story for youngsters exploring their own differences and the value of nonconformity. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for youngsters learning Spanish (or English!), August 27, 2006

By 

Jean Griswold "jgriswoldnc" (charlotte, nc, usa) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Amelia's Show-and-Tell Fiesta / Amelia y la fiesta de muestra y cuenta (Spanish and English Edition) (Hardcover)

My first grade granddaugther is studying Spanish as part of her school curriculum. We found this book at the library this summer and she LOVED it! We're now buying it for her first grade classroom's library. The kids really like having the English/Spanish translations on each page (that's also easier for the reader), and the story line is both fun and hits close to home as school starts and there are "new kids" in the classroom who weren't there last year.