Un ABC Animal

OK, here's the struggle: When you're bilingual, but don't use your second language on some days for more than telling the 5-year-old to get her zapatos on, you are likely to stumble a little when you're reading a new book.

Case in point, I pulled out a book I bought last year, Un ABC Animal, because Maria is more ready for it now than she was then. The problema: Mami isn't sure what a nutria is and she had to think hard about the word "golosinas'' and how best to explain "te clavará el colmillo'' to the child.

The book, by Ana Galán, is lovely. The illustrations are pretty and funny, and there's a lively poem for each letter -- which of course, includes ch, ll, ñ.

Here's the B:

"Ballena, ¿te bañas sola? Báñate bien con jabón. Sácale brillo a tu cola. ¡Qué bella que te quedó!

Maria asked me to translate each poem as I read it and I faked a few words. Oh yes, I did. But, I made a mental note to find my dictionary like apuradamente. (I already know a nutria is an otter.)

So, there's the beauty of it. I'm learning right alongside la niña.

Recessionista note:

I got Un ABC Animal last year via Sort Floor Books, which has amazing deals on books and very inexpensive shipping. You can find Spanish books via this search and perhaps by doing some title searches. They don't have the easiest way to find books and there are no descriptions, so you'll have to look at another book site to read about the title. It's worth the time though. I got great books for the holidays there last year, including some Cuban cookbooks.