Marta! Big & Small

July 25, 2016
Arena and Dominguez nimbly combine an exploration of relativity with an introduction to Spanish vocabulary as una niña named Marta encounters various animals while exploring a junglelike setting. Though the text is minimal, Arena uses repetition and context clues to make each concept readily clear: “To a horse, Marta is lenta. Slow, very slow. To a turtle, Marta is rápida. Fast, very fast.” Dominguez’s loose, energetic illustrations underscore the meanings of each term and, during a run-in with a hungry snake, help demonstrate that Marta is—among other things—“ingeniosa. Clever, very clever.” Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.

May 15, 2016
Opposites, animals, and Spanish vocabulary introduce concepts to early readers. Arena introduces readers to purple-backpack-wearing Marta, an adventurous explorer. As she journeys through a fanciful backyard "jungle," light-skinned Latina Marta discovers and observes the opposites between herself and the animals she encounters, from size to speed to stealth. "To a horse, Marta is lenta. Slow, very slow." The page-turn completes the contrast: "To a turtle, Marta is rapida. Fast, very fast." The Spanish words are printed in orange and a playful typeface, a clever approach to avoid italics, an old-fashioned norm. After a series of polarities that introduce Spanish descriptive vocabulary, the journey reintroduces the animals in Spanish translation and offers gentle contradictions to the earlier assertions. "Marta is loud like el leon," and next to the phrase, there's a profile of a lion in midroar and Marta with a megaphone. Pura Belpre honoree Dominguez's green, brown, and tan illustrations capture the movement in each spread: an elephant's trunk in midswing, a galloping horse with leaves floating behind, a rabbit hopping away from Marta. Marta's adventure is an enjoyable way to introduce animals, observe concepts, and identify comparisons and polarities in English and en Espanol. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-7)

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August 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Young readers are introduced to the Spanish words for some opposites and animals by Marta, a very clever nina. Arena uses the Spanish word within the English text and then proceeds to use the word again, this time in English, thereby making the meaning clear. For instance, "To a bug, Marta is grande. Big, very big." The Spanish word is always highlighted in orange. Dominguez's artwork provides pictorial reinforcement. Changes in perspective emphasize and help visualize the different opposites. Standing out against a white background, Dominguez's illustrations, done with colored pencils and bold outlines with an earthy palette of mainly browns and greens, introduce humor to what could otherwise be a dry book. There is even a little tension when Marta meets a serpent: "To a snake, Marta is sabrosa." On the spread that follows, there are three words and a picture of a snake: "Tasty, very tasty...." The snake encounter is also used as the moment to present the Spanish names of all the animals Marta came across. At the end there is a list of all the Spanish words and their English counterparts, but there is no pronunciation guide. VERDICT A cross between a concept book and a word book, this is a fun read-aloud to use anytime or in a bilingual storytime program.-Lucia Acosta, Children's Literature Specialist, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Preschool-G An energetic and smiling Marta bounces through an imaginary zoo full of creatures and offers an entertaining lesson on contrasts and comparisons. Relative to a bug, Marta is grande. Big, very big. But compared to an elephant, Marta is pequena. Small, very small. Each well-designed page spread makes excellent use of white space in order to showcase Dominguez's playful arrangement and highlight a single comparison, written in rhythmic, straightforward lines. Spanish words are called out in a different color, and the expressive illustrations offer visual context clues in addition to Arena's literal translations for non-Spanish speakers. After a fun twist at the climax, a double-page spread features more comparisons, this time with the animal names in Spanish quiet like el conejo, fast like el caballo, and so on. Arena's clever, catchy text might invite some play-acting games, and the lively energy of her informative words is well matched by Dominguez's friendly, dynamic creatures in an earth-toned palette. This handy introduction to Spanish vocabulary is perfect for animal-lovers of all stripes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)