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A review by kitsuneheart
Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales
5.0
Senor Calavera has come to fetch Grandma Beetle, and she's ready to go, only she has a few small chores to do, if he'd be so kind to wait as she counts them off.
I'm not normally very impressed with counting books or multi-language books, as it can be hard to teach something and maintain a good story. Morales has sought to teach two separate things in this book--counting and a little bit of Spanish--and has done so with commendable skill. Story quality has not been sacrificed in any way, leaving readers with an educational book which is also entertaining.
The artwork is interesting, with the humans given very round, almost cartoonish faces, but alongside very detailed eyes. Not so much as to be unsettling, but enough to create a definite unique style. There's also a definite stylistic influence from Mexican culture in the artwork.
A must for public libraries, but give it a check out from there before buying for a private home. They'll only need to learn to count to ten for so long, so might as well go for more long-term books.
I'm not normally very impressed with counting books or multi-language books, as it can be hard to teach something and maintain a good story. Morales has sought to teach two separate things in this book--counting and a little bit of Spanish--and has done so with commendable skill. Story quality has not been sacrificed in any way, leaving readers with an educational book which is also entertaining.
The artwork is interesting, with the humans given very round, almost cartoonish faces, but alongside very detailed eyes. Not so much as to be unsettling, but enough to create a definite unique style. There's also a definite stylistic influence from Mexican culture in the artwork.
A must for public libraries, but give it a check out from there before buying for a private home. They'll only need to learn to count to ten for so long, so might as well go for more long-term books.