April's BOM: Samantha Vamos's Before You Were Here, Mi Amor

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor
by Samantha R. Vamos
Illustrated by Santiago Cohen

The LBBC’s recommendation for February’s Libro del Mes, is Samantha R. Vamos’s Before You Were Here, Mi Amor.

A new book is now available on the market by a new author. Written from the first person perspective, Before You Were Here, Mi Amor is a sweet and loving story that any mamá could have written to her child and describes how each member of the family prepares for the arrival of the new baby. The phrase "before you were here," is repeated throughout and provides a bridge for introducing family members and simple concepts in Spanish such as colors, shapes, numbers, animals and food. The book is very well written and does a great job of weaving in the Spanish words so that it does not seem awkward and, in fact, together with the illustrations, makes it very easy to understand the meaning of the word without having to consult a dictionary (though there is a glossary in the back for your convenience.)

Before You Were Here is my favorite type of bilingual and bicultural book. Written in English, it contains Spanish words embedded in the text on every page. No less than 70 Spanish words are introduced to the reader in a wonderful format that incorporates them seamlessly into the narrative. An excellent book for English dominant families that are trying to introduce Spanish to their children and probably an easier way to learn the language than through the memorization technique necessary with most First Spanish Dictionaries.

One of my favorite passages:

Before you were here, I felt your tiny pies flutter
and kick as you moved around inside me.
Tu abuelo felt you kick and said,
"Mi nieto will play fútbol."
Tu abuela felt you kick and said,
"Mi nieta will dance flamenco."

Santiago Cohen’s illustrations are warm and colorful. More importantly, they help to define the story making it easy for children (and adults) to understand new words or phrases.

This is the first children's book for Samantha Vamos, and I am eagerly looking forward to her next one, The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, due out next year. Vamos also has a vibrant web site that includes activities for children. You can check it out here.

If you would like to buy your own copy of Before You Were Here, Mi Amor, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.