1 of 1 copy available
Hola, Joe. / Hi, José.
I have my uniform. /Tengo mi uniforme.
I am ready. / Estoy listo.
Two boys, an English speaker and a Spanish speaker, are on the same soccer team. They have their uniforms and their cleats. They can both juggle the ball. At first, the boys must wait on the bench. But when the coach lets them in the game, both Joe and José score goals. “We win,” says Joe. “Ganamos,” says José.
Perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first and second graders who are learning to speak or read English and Spanish. A delightful reading experience for bilingual families.
René Colato Laínez, a teacher in a bilingual kindergarten classroom, has crafted an ingenious story that authentically and naturally uses conversation to introduce children to English and Spanish. The fun friendship story engages children, while simple words, short sentences, and a glossary reinforce learning.
Nomar Perez, illustrator of best-selling children’s books as well as greeting cards, has a bright, bold, colorful, kid-pleasing style that invites readers to befriend the characters in this book.
René was raised in El Salvador and Nomar in Puerto Rico.
You will also like Let’s Be Friends, Seamos Amigos, by René Colato Laínez; illustrated by Nomar Perez.
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
January 11, 2022 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780823452750
-
-
Languages
- English
- Spanish; Castilian
-
Reviews
-
December 1, 2021
On a beautiful sunny day, two young boys experience the twists and turns of a soccer game. Joe warmly greets Jos� as he walks onto the soccer field. They eagerly show off their red uniforms and cleats, then practice keep-ups, juggling soccer balls on their knees. Their enthusiasm is palpable, but when the match begins, they aren't chosen as starting players. A female coach benches the boys, and though they're sad at first, the game soon absorbs their attention as they cheer on their teammates. Only when it begins to look like their team might lose are they called onto the field, much to their delight, and the match draws to an exciting conclusion. The story is told entirely through the boys' dialogue, which appears in speech bubbles. Joe speaks exclusively in English and Jos�, exclusively in Spanish. It's not clear whether the boys can also speak each other's languages, and poignantly, it doesn't matter. The kids clearly understand each other, using body language and context to bolster verbal communication. The bilingual sentence repetition ("I pass the ball to Jos� / Goal! / �Gol! / Le paso la pelota a Joe") creates a realistic and seamless narrative that young children can easily follow while developing both English and Spanish skills. The illustrations are vibrant, and characters are depicted as having various shades of light brown skin. Backmatter helpfully provides direct translations of words that appear in the story. A bright, sweet story about friendship, teamwork, and the joy of soccer. (glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-
February 1, 2022
PreS-Gr 2- Let's Be Friends and We Play Soccer offer bilingual stories for the very young or for those new to the Spanish/English language. Although Joe speaks English and Jose speaks Spanish, the language barrier does not keep these two kindergartners from becoming friends. Each time Joe speaks, Jose replies by saying the same phrase in Spanish. In Let's Be Friends, the boys learn to share paints as they create beautiful pictures during class. Joe says, "Let's paint," and Jose replies, "Pintemos." In We Play Soccer, the boys learn teamwork as they work together to help their team score the winning goal. Joe says, "Our team is losing," and Jose responds with, "Nuestro equipo esta perdiendo." Colorful artwork and detailed pictures keep readers engaged. VERDICT Both books offer a simple story with delightful characters for beginning readers or those learning a new language.-Martha Rico
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-