Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury (English and Spanish Edition) [Hardcover]

Alma Flor Ada (Author), F. Isabel Campoy (Author), Maribel Suarez (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2005 | Age Level: 2 and up

Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy, acclaimed authors and scholars of Latino literature, have spent years culling popular and beloved lullabies, jump-rope songs, riddles, proverbs, and more from all over the Spanish-speaking world. The result is the most comprehensive bilingual folklore collection available in this country. Full of charm and humor, rich with the diversity of Latino cultures, this one-of-a-kind treasury is the perfect introduction to Latino folklore for English speakers, and a trove of familiar favorites for Spanish speakers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–This lovely compendium includes lullabies, finger games, lap games, sayings, nursery rhymes, jump-rope songs, proverbs, riddles, tall tales, a ballad, birthday songs, and Christmas carols. The format is spacious, with lots of room for both the Spanish and English text and clear, charming watercolor cartoon illustrations that vary from spreads to small insets. The selections, which are just as much fun to read in English as in Spanish, are wonderful examples of paraphrasing. While not literal translations, the general sense of the rhymes is maintained in cadence and rhyme. This is a perfect example of translation as an art form and of the fact that license sometimes trumps literalness. A perfect companion volume to the authors' ¡Pío Peep! (HarperCollins, 2003).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This packed-to-the-gills volume features nursery rhymes, riddles, sayings, and songs drawn from the rich traditions of Spanish-speaking cultures. Arranged in thoughtfully introduced sections such as "Canciones de comba / Jump-Rope Songs" and "Adivinanzas / Riddles," the 68 selections appear first in Spanish, followed by a loose recasting of the original in italicized English. Tracey Heffernan is credited with "creative editing of the English," a role that extends beyond strict translation to produce English entries that preserve features such as rhyme, onomatopoeia, and repetition. The results occasionally stray significantly from the originals' sense, so readers hoping to enrich a developing second language won't be particularly well served; others will wish for musical notation and annotations about each entry's cultural origins. (Jose-Luis Orozco's bilingual poetry collections include more of both.) Still, native Spanish speakers wanting to share favorite rhymes with children will relish this book's breadth--and young speakers of either language will appreciate the bouncing rhythms and nonsense fun. Two indexes, one in Spanish and one in English, conclude, and lighthearted watercolors by Suarez appear throughout. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; Bilingual edition (March 2, 2005)
• Language: English, Spanish
• ISBN-10: 0786819537
• ISBN-13: 978-0786819539
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury, September 14, 2005

By 

Ilona (Aurora, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury (English and Spanish Edition) (Hardcover)

I think it is a nice book, however I was disappointed. The title says " A Latino Nursery Treasury", the truth is that the content is 95% based on Mexican folklore. I wish the content included rymes and other pieces from other countries in Latin America: Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, etc...

Most of the content is not knwon from people outside of Mexico.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun collection..., April 19, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury (English and Spanish Edition) (Hardcover)

Acclaimed authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy have combined their talents to present a collection of sayings, nursery rhymes, games, and more. MAMA GOOSE: A Latino Nursery Treasury expounds on heritage and how various cultures have contributed to what is now considered Latino tradition or folklore.

My favorite portions of the book were the jump rope songs, proverbs, and birthday songs. Remembering my childhood, I was able to revisit some of my favorite songs and compare them to the ones presented in MAMA GOOSE. What I really enjoyed was that the book was written in both Spanish and English, allowing everyone, regardless of background, to appreciate the selections. I enjoyed being a kid again, reading, singing, and playing with the characters of this book. My daughter also loved listening and giving her own renditions of the colorful illustrations drawn by Maribel Suarez. MAMA GOOSE is a wonderful selection I'd recommend adding to any child's library as it's sure to be one of their favorites.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal

of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Treasury, February 11, 2007

By 

Claudia Brilliant (Logan, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury (Paperback)

In my center we work with many immigrants, especially Spanish speaking immgrants. All of our bilingual staff of parent educators love this book. We are responsible to help these families get their children ready for kindergarten entrance and one of the requirements now is the child has to be able to recite nursery rhymes. Of course the children have no idea what Humpty Dumpty or London Bridge is talking about. So this puts them at a disadvantage. We encourage parents to share these rhymes with their children, which are the rhymes most of the parents grew up with. Nursery rhymes and finger plays, along with the lullabies of childhood become the first forms of wider world language comprehension in the child's brain. They develop sensitivity to sounds of language, variations in those sounds, similarities and differences, build receptive vocabulary. This book with its delightful translations can help both the parent and the child transition from native Spanish language to the target language English, all the while retaining the first culture for both parent and child. Since we all must learn by hanging what we want to know on what we already know, this book is a tool in forming an effective bridge for Spanish speaking families. Some English speaking families are using it also to teach Spanish to their children. I wish there were books like this 14 other languages! Do we know anyone who could write one in Arabic or Mandarin Chinese?