Little Chickies

LITTLE CHICKIES / LOS POLLITOS ($14.99, novelty board book) is based on "Los Pollitos Dicen" (Little Chickies Squeal), one of the most popular nursery rhymes in Spanish (as popular as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is in English). A wonderful homage to a mother and her kids, the nursery rhyme centers on adorable baby chicks hatching from their eggs and crying out that they're hungry and their resourceful mama hen taking care of them.

Canticos has developed an innovative reversible design that offers the continuous original story in its native Spanish language one one side, and a new rhyming English language version on the other. A reader can read the story through one one side, get to the end, and flip the book to read the story in the second language. The English adaptation of the song is as catchy and lyrical as the Spanish version and sure to enchant new audiences not familiar with the original song. The book is also interactive, with lift-the-flap* and turn-the-wheel novelty features to encourage interaction and fine motor skills.

"As a Latina mom exposed to songs and traditions from both the US and my native Venezuela, I've had a hard time finding books, apps and videos of the nursery rhymes I grew up with," says Brooklyn-based author-artist Susie Jaramillo. "In talking to people in both Latino and non-Latino communities, I realized this was missing from bookshelves and digital platforms everywhere." Jaramillo recently left the advertising world to apply her brand building and storytelling skills to the children's world. "In addition to promoting bilingual/multilingual learning, we hope the books, apps and videos also promote a sense of community and connect kids, especially Latino kids, to their culture."

*Please note: This is a lift-the-flap novelty book but because this is a digital review file, it doesn't show how the flaps work.