How Do You Say I Love You?

October 16, 2017
Children who already know how to say “I love you” in English can learn how to do so in 10 additional languages in
a rhyming board book that zips around the world over the course of a day. Phonetic pronunciations help readers sound out each phrase, and the Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian entries appear in both transliterated versions in Roman letters and in their corresponding scripts and/or
characters. Ng-Benitez helps children get a general sense of settings that include Brazil, France, Italy, and Spain in loosely sketched cartoons featuring warm parent-child moments and other expressions of love. Ages 2–4. Agent: Nicole Tugeau, T2 Children’s Illustrators.

January 1, 2018
Little readers learn how to say "I love you" in different languages.This board book takes little ones on a tour of the world as rhymes in an abcb scheme explain the different ways cultures say "I love you." In Italy they say "Ti amo," while in Egypt there's "Bahibak," but little readers will notice that in every culture, no matter what words are said, the characters' loving expressions stay the same. The phrase "I love you" is set in colored, boldface display type; each different translation is colored differently. The German "Ich liebe dich" is orange, and the Russian "Ya tebya lyublyu" is blue. All of the translations have phonetic spellings beneath them to help caregivers with pronunciation. The loose, line-and-watercolor illustrations feature people of all colors in famous and recognizable locales, emphasizing the expansive world that is still connected by a simple phrase. One drawback is that specific languages are not identified, which may lead readers to conclude that Egyptians speak "Egyptian" and that in both India and China but one language is spoken.A worthy if imperfect read for caregivers looking to introduce different cultures to their children. (Board book. 1-3)

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