Everyone once in a while I come across a children's book that I instantly love. It usually happens when both the story and the illustrations speak to me separately as artistic labors of love AND they enhance each other's beauty when combined. These books call out to me from the library/bookstore shelves and I almost don't have to read them to know I've found one. In the past, it's been Suddenly One Day and This is Just to Say, among many others, but until this week, I have never before fallen in love with a book I can't even read...because it's in Spanish.
Yet here it is:
Using my extremely limited and very patchy Spanish translation skills, I know that this is a story about a boy name Fonchito...and The Moon (y la luna). (wow, I'm good.)
There's also something about a la nina mas bonita (beautiful little girl, I think) named Nerieda, whom Fonchito wants to kiss.
And that's about as far as I get. I'm not even sure where the moon comes in, but I just know that if I could read it, I would love it. The ilustraciones de Marta Chicote Juiz tell me that much.
I haven't been able to find the story in English anywhere, so I suppose I will either have to scope out the Spanish skills of friends and acquaintances or improve my own.
Anyhow, the moon and stars have been on my mind quite a bit since our backyard camp-out, which we repeated last night with friends and star-gazing and constellation mythology all thrown in the mix. A good time was had by all, although, I have to say, for coziness and memories, I prefer the homemade blanket tent to the ol' North Face Rock 22. We'll have to revert back next time.
I linked up the post about our original camp-out to the Carnival of Outdoor Play at The Nurture Store. You should click on over and check out some of the other fun ideas for outdoor learning-through-play adventure.
And go to the library. Maybe you'll hear a book call out your name, in English or otherwise.
Yet here it is:
Using my extremely limited and very patchy Spanish translation skills, I know that this is a story about a boy name Fonchito...and The Moon (y la luna). (wow, I'm good.)
There's also something about a la nina mas bonita (beautiful little girl, I think) named Nerieda, whom Fonchito wants to kiss.
I haven't been able to find the story in English anywhere, so I suppose I will either have to scope out the Spanish skills of friends and acquaintances or improve my own.
Anyhow, the moon and stars have been on my mind quite a bit since our backyard camp-out, which we repeated last night with friends and star-gazing and constellation mythology all thrown in the mix. A good time was had by all, although, I have to say, for coziness and memories, I prefer the homemade blanket tent to the ol' North Face Rock 22. We'll have to revert back next time.
I linked up the post about our original camp-out to the Carnival of Outdoor Play at The Nurture Store. You should click on over and check out some of the other fun ideas for outdoor learning-through-play adventure.
And go to the library. Maybe you'll hear a book call out your name, in English or otherwise.
Vargas Llosa was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for literature. He is Peruvian and is considered one of Latin America's most important literary voices.
ReplyDeleteBlanket tent are fine as long as the weather remains dry. Love.