" A gem when it comes to helping people understand what it is like growing up bilingual"
This book is a gem when it comes to helping people understand what it is like growing up bilingual. Sami uses both his languages - Spanish and English - to express himself. This, to him, feels most authentic, even when there are occasions, like when he is with friends, where the people around him don’t follow his words exactly.
But his translanguaging gets him in trouble at school, where the teacher is looking to assess his English, and with his abuelita, who thinks he should speak exclusively Spanish at home (and exclusively English at school). But this separation of languages feels artificial to Sami when he tries - and he does try!
Thankfully, his nice neighbour asks him to teach her Spanglish, and before you know it, the entire neighbourhood is at it.
With bright, bold illustrations, Mónica Mancillas and Olivia de Castro bring Sami’s world to life, and with it, the lived reality of many multilingual children. The book offers an introduction to the specific term “Spanglish” at the end, as well as a glossary for the Spanish and Spanglish words.
Sami even mentions how he creates new words of his own invention when he has something specific to say - again, these neologisms are well documented in the research literature. Whether the children in your life/class is Spanish speaking or not, this is an upbeat book that encourages children in finding their own linguistic identity.
In this charming and delightful picture book, Sami shares the joys of Spanglish with his skeptical abuela and diverse community.
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In this charming and delightful picture book, Sami shares the joys of Spanglish with his skeptical abuela and diverse community.Sami loves to speak both English and Spanish. But he doesn't just speak them one at a time.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed How to Speak in Spanglish and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-4 years old
How to Speak in Spanglish features in the following genres: Featured Books for 3+ readers, Stories about Family and Friends, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, PSHE: Family Issues, Children’s / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction, Recommendations, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE)
Hardback. Not Available.
How to Speak in Spanglish was written by Mónica Mancillas and published by Penguin Workshop an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group
How to Speak in Spanglish has 48 pages
