Hello, friends! Our book today is the wonderfully educational ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs, written by Cynthia Weill and K.B. Basseches and featuring Mexican folk art from Oaxaca by Moisés and Armando Jiménez.

On each vibrantly-colored page, little ones are introduced to a new letter; both English letters as well as letters and/or sounds (such as ñ or ch) that are native to the Spanish alphabet are featured. Accompanying each of these is a photograph of a beautifully carved and painted Mexican folk-art sculpture of an animal, and that animal’s name in both English and Spanish.

We loved this so much! We’ve been trying to include some dual-language books into JJ’s library, but this is the first that I’ve seen that really focuses on teaching children in two alphabets at once. The inclusion of Spanish-exclusive or -adapted letters and word sounds gives a wonderful foundation, and the use of the Mexican folk art adds a cultural component that gives the Spanish words and alphabet a sense of context, as well as providing some truly engaging visuals for little readers. This one had it right down to the details: for “X”, it includes a sculpture of an imaginary animal, and encourages children to make up their own animal that starts with x – a clever, fun page that allows children to interact with the subject in a new way. The length is fine, and JJ adored it, reading it through three more times after we were done. If you’re looking for a truly immersive dual-language primer for little ones, this is the one to pick! Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)