From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-Following in the tradition of Margot Griego's Tortillitas para Mama (Holt, 1995) and Jose-Luis Orozco's Diez deditos (Dutton, 1997) comes this stellar collection of nursery rhymes. Selected from the rich oral tradition of Latin America and the American Southwest, most of the verses are known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The rhymes cover everything from early morning birds to elephants to angels, and the reason for their enduring popularity is clear. Deeply rhythmic verses, compelling rhyme schemes, and words that "play trippingly on the tongue" characterize every verse. Schertle's excellent English adaptations are not literal translations but poetic re-creations. They retain the rhythm, meter, and general meaning of the originals, making the rhymes as memorable and memorizable in English as they are in Spanish. Escriv 's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations use brilliant hues and detail to reconstruct a young child's world. Certain to become a staple for preschool and early elementary programs, this offering is also a wonderful, reassuring lap book. A must-purchase for libraries.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
PreS. As the preface to this delightful book states, nursery rhymes and songs are an important part of Spanish oral folklore. The 29 rhymes here--some accompanied by finger plays or games, and some simply meant to be chanted on their own--in most cases came to the Americas from Spain. They are presented both in Spanish and in English, although "to preserve the charm of the original rhymes," the English versions are not translations but "poetic recreations." Even adult readers with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish will see some of the differences, but both versions have a sweet, rhythmic simplicity that will get children singing, clapping, and perhaps making some forays into a new language. The watercolor illustrations, featured prominently on the page, are a mix of historical and contemporary, generic Latin American scenes, and pictures of animals (not Escriva's artistic strong suit). Parents, teachers, and librarians will find a multitude of uses. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description

El sol es de oro
la luna es de plata
y las estrellitas
son de hoja de lata.

The sun's a gold medallion.
The moon's a silver ball.
The little stars are only tin;
I love them best of all.

Here is a groundbreaking bilingual collection of traditional rhymes that celebrates childhood and Spanish and Latin American heritage. From playing dress up to making tortillas, and from rising at daybreak to falling asleep, these joyful rhymes are sure to delight young readers.

Passed down from generation to generation, the twenty-nine rhymes included have been lovingly selected by distinguished authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. English adaptations by Alice Schertle capture the spirit of each rhyme and have a charm all their own. Accompanied by enchanting illustrations by Spanish artist Viví Escrivá, this collection is destined to become a beloved classic for children already familiar with the rhymes as well as those encountering them for the first time.

Language Notes
Text: English, Spanish

Card catalog description
A collection of more than two dozen nursery rhymes in Spanish, from Spain and Latin America, with English translations.

About the Author
In Her Own Words... "I was born in Cuba and spent my childhoodin a wonderful big old house in the outskirts of the city of Camaguey. If I went out by the front door, I was on the street. But if I went out by the back door, I was in the magical world of trees, cows, the horse, and the river, a world that always enchanted me. There were generous trees ready to share their fruits: sweet and sour cashews, fragrant guavas, delicious mangoes, tamarindo, nispero, caimito. There was the river full of life: turtles sunning on rocks, herons fishing for minnows, bullfrogs jumping into the water. On the other side of the river, an old man and his son made bricks and tiles out of the red clay, and I spent countless hours watching them."I was always trying to make sense of the world around me and continually asking questions: Why were so many people poor? What did ants do inside their anthills? But I also spent many hours lost in the world of books. Some of my favorite authors were the Russian writer Condesa de Segur (Sophie’s Adventures and The General Durakin), the Swiss writer Johanna Spyri (Heidi and Lorenzo and Margarita and Children of the Alps), the Italian Edmundo d’Amicis (Corazon), and the American Louisa May Alcott. Almost all the books I read as a child were translations from other languages, so it isn’t surprising that as I grew up I began to translate many books from English into Spanish."My grandmother was an exceptional storyteller who could make her stories so real thatI felt I was actually there. My father loved to tell stories, too. Every night he invented a new story to explain how fire was used for the first time or how someone thought of making shoes or how to build a house or to make a canoe."Writing is for me a great joy, a way to re-create some of the feelings I had as a child: the wonder, the joy, the excitement, the surprise. It’s also a way to say what I feel today. Above all, it’s a chance to make a little piece of the world—that contained within the pages of a book—just and kind, beautiful and diverse, welcoming to all."I feel I’m very fortunate to be able to do in life just what I love to do: write and teach. To see the books I have written in the hands of any child is one of the greatest joys I can think of.To see them in the little hands of my grand-children is a gift beyond belief."

ANNOTATION

A collection of more than two dozen nursery rhymes in Spanish, from Spain and Latin America, with English translations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

El sol es de oro
la luna es de plata
y las estrellitas
son de hoja de lata.

The sun's a gold medallion.
The moon's a silver ball.
The little stars are only tin;
I love them best of all.

Here is a groundbreaking bilingual collection of traditional rhymes that celebrates childhood and Spanish and Latin American heritage. From playing dress up to making tortillas, and from rising at daybreak to falling asleep, these joyful rhymes are sure to delight young readers.

Passed down from generation to generation, the twenty-nine rhymes included have been lovingly selected by distinguished authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. English adaptations by Alice Schertle capture the spirit of each rhyme and have a charm all their own. Accompanied by enchanting illustrations by Spanish artist Viví Escrivá, this collection is destined to become a beloved classic for children already familiar with the rhymes as well as those encountering them for the first time.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Passing along traditional rhymes to a new generation of children is the focus of Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes, selected by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, English adaptations by Alice Schertle, illus. by Vivi Escriva. The 29 rhymes selected here celebrate childhood, from rising with the sun to playing pat-a-cake and other games to a last look at a sleepy mouse: "A sleepy mouse/ began to snore./ This tale is told-/ there is no more." The Spanish rhyme and its English counterpart appear side by side, and bilingual readers may sometimes wonder at the choices made in the English versions, which are not translations but "poetic re-creations." The softly rounded, glowing watercolors depict children mostly in modern dress amid lush natural landscapes. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Criticas - Ann Welton, Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, Tacoma, WA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

PreS-Gr 2-Twenty-nine nursery rhymes from the Latin American tradition appear in their original Spanish and in informed and stylish English translations. Perfect for beginning the year with the very youngest; the rhymes sing off the page and are excellent for filling those transitional moments with language-rich activity. In either tongue, love of language and poetic expression find an outlet here.

Children's Literature - Gisela Jernigan, Ph.D.

This lively collection of 29 traditional Spanish nursery rhymes consists mostly of double-page spreads featuring the Spanish nursery rhyme on the first page followed by a corresponding English rhyme on the second page. Bright, child-like illustrations frame, enhance and unify the bilingual rhymes. As explained in the Spanish and English introductions, the English versions of the rhymes are not translations but poetic re-creations of the originals. While some details may differ, this method very successfully helps preserve the charm and spirit of the original Spanish. Schertle does an admirable job of adapting and re-creating. The selectors purposefully chose rhymes that are well-known and loved throughout the Spanish-speaking world. While three of the rhymes are from Mexico, the rest are favorites in many Spanish-speaking countries. The rhymes represent a nice variety. They accompany finger plays, games, songs, counting, breaking a pi￯﾿ﾽata, falling asleep and other activities. Some of the rhymes celebrate things in nature, such as ants and elephants, while others are just fun and silly. This attractive collection is a wonderful introduction to oral Spanish folklore and should appeal to both children and adults. It would be a useful, enjoyable addition to bilingual classrooms, libraries and homes. 2003, HarperCollins, Ages 3 mo. to 8.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Following in the tradition of Margot Griego's Tortillitas para Mama (Holt, 1995) and Jos -Luis Orozco's Diez deditos (Dutton, 1997) comes this stellar collection of nursery rhymes. Selected from the rich oral tradition of Latin America and the American Southwest, most of the verses are known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The rhymes cover everything from early morning birds to elephants to angels, and the reason for their enduring popularity is clear. Deeply rhythmic verses, compelling rhyme schemes, and words that "play trippingly on the tongue" characterize every verse. Schertle's excellent English adaptations are not literal translations but poetic re-creations. They retain the rhythm, meter, and general meaning of the originals, making the rhymes as memorable and memorizable in English as they are in Spanish. Escriv 's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations use brilliant hues and detail to reconstruct a young child's world. Certain to become a staple for preschool and early elementary programs, this offering is also a wonderful, reassuring lap book. A must-purchase for libraries. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews