Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes [Paperback]

Sherry Shahan (Author), Paula Barragan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Colors explode off the page in this energetic, jazzy picture book introducing readers to colors in English and Spanish. In a style brimming with rhythm and syncopation, Shahan introduces nine colors by interweaving images and dance steps. Ecuadoran artist Paula Barragan's computer-enhanced cut-paper illustrations capture the rhythm and vivacity of the text. This book, which Publishers Weekly called a feast for the eyes and ears, received a NAPPA Gold Award.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. Spicy indeed. This boldly designed book is a welcome treat after the more sedate books that introduce children to colors. The text, written in English with the colors identified in both English and Spanish, has a firm, rhythmic beat: "Yellow as gourds / spitter-sputter seeds / Yellow as cobs of corn / hip-hoppin' treat." However, it's the artwork, computer-enhanced paper collages, that dazzles. For example, the illustration for "Yellow/Amarillo" features a double-page spread of life-size gourds and corn on a platter set against a background of a freshly minted color somewhere between purple and brown. The art accompanying "White/Blanco" shows dancing Day-of-the-Dead skeletons cavorting against ebony pages. Decorating other spreads are red chili peppers and sauce and a giant green iguana that lolls across two pages. Occasionally other Spanish words are inserted into the text, all of which are defined in a glossary. A brilliant feast of color that will entice children as it helps them learn a few Spanish words. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 24 pages
• Publisher: August House (July 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874838150
• ISBN-13: 978-0874838152
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sherry Shahan's novel PURPLE DAZE is the powerful story of an unforgettable year. It's a story about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, and friendship. Set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965, six high school students share their intense experiences through journal entries, notes, interconnected free verse and traditional poems. Together they learn important lessons about the world, their friends, and themselves as they take part in America's most volatile cultural revolution. Rock on!

Visit www.SherryShahan.com

DEATH MOUNTAIN is based on a frightening personal experience: Shahan's backpacking group was caught in a deadly electrical storm on an exposed ridge. The pack horse and mule were struck by lightning and killed; three women in her party were airlifted off the mountain by helicopter.

Other adventures include hiking a leech-infested rain forest in Australia, riding horseback into a remote Maasai village in Africa, and bouncing around inside a dog sled for the first part of the famed 1049-mile Iditarod Race in Alaska. Those are just the "A"s . . .

Visit: www.SherryShahan.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting presentation for young readers, October 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes (Hardcover)

From ballet to books: Sherry Shahan is a dancer/author who in Spicy Hot Colors is passionate about rhythm and here she incorporates the rhythmic elements of Latin American culture into a superbly presented bilingual coverage of colors. Illustrator Paula Barragan creates the colors, while jazzy poetry uses English and Spanish to reveal colors to the very young. A dancing, a haunting presentation for young readers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars learn some spanish, February 8, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes (Hardcover)

Spicy Hot Colors is a picture book teaching the names of colors in Spanish. Each color is given a full page spread. The name of the color is mentioned in English and then the spanish word is listed as well. In the back there is a vocabulary list for words that kids might not know the meanings of. Also is a helpful pronunciation guide for the Spanish words that are listed in the book.
The illustrations were bright and bold. They went well with the text.
I would recommend this book to educators who are teaching basic Spanish. The book was very helpful in home school while learning the names of colors in Spanish

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Spicy? No. Muddy? Yes., January 25, 2011

By 

P. Young - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes (Paperback)

Whether the fault lies with the original concept or with the printer, this book is a big disappointment. Beginning with the first page, 'rojo/red', which should have been vibrant, is a muddy mix-up. There may be red in the illustrations, but against the backgrounds, it comes out orange? ochre? Who can tell? The 'orange/anaranjado' page is a bit clearer, but doesn't present much of a contrast with the 'red.' 'Yellow/amarillo' is a pretty page, with subtle variations of the color. The 'green/verde' page is lovely: the shades of olive, forest and lime work well together. Similarly, the 'purple/morado; page, with several depths of color succeed against the contrasting backgrounds. 'Blue/azul' almost makes it, except that it is weakened by the predominance of other colors: not a teaching page, that's for sure. The great variations on brown are pleasing to the eye, but 'pardo' as the translation of 'brown' is unfortunate. 'Café' or 'marrón' might have been better choices. Then comes the 'black/negro' page. What a failure! How hard would it have been to present this color?! Yes, black does appear on the page, but against the murky backgrounds it loses all its power. 'Black/negro' is illustrated much better on the following 'white/blanco' page with its great dancing skeletons. If the colors had been done more skillfully it wouldn't really matter that the text is so forced and useless. (Blue as paper dragons/Boogie-woogie/Swing! What possible connection is there between paper dragons and boogie-woogie?)
It's sad that the bold work of the artist, Paula Barragán, was so mishandled.