Isabel and her Colores Go to School (English and Spanish Edition)

Product Description

English, with its blustery blues and whites, just feels wrong to Isabel. She prefers the warm oranges and pinks of Spanish. As she prepares for class at a new school, she knows she’s going to have to learn–and she would rather not! Her first day is uncomfortable, until she discovers there’s more than one way to communicate with friends. This is a universal story about feeling new and making new friends.

Review

“Alessandri melds Spanish and English in a narration filled with varying color words, and bubbles on each page offer the corresponding text entirely in Spanish. Dawson’s expressive digital art emphasizes the big-eyed characters’ emotions amid a classroom of students with differing skin tones. This synesthesia-inflected tale helps teach colors while simultaneously buoying those nervous about language barriers. Back matter includes a Spanish-English glossary.” –Publishers Weekly

“Rojo, verde, azul, rosado, ­morado, violeta. Spanish-speaking Isabel, with brown skin and curly hair, loves coloring with her favorite crayons. What she does not like is that tomorrow is her first day of school where everyone will speak English. To Isabel, it “sounded wrong, like stormy blues and blizzard whites. Isabel preferred the pinks and yellows and purples” of her own language. Mami, also with brown skin and curly hair, drives Isabel to school where her racially diverse class ­begins the day with stretches. Her classmates stretch counting “one, two, three,” while Isabel counts “uno, dos, tres.” At story time, a Black girl named Sarah asks Isabel if she wants to be friends. Isabel does not understand the question, but at coloring time, with its familiar and comforting hues, she draws a picture for Sarah, visually explaining that she indeed wants to be friends. Dawson’s warm and radiant illustrations pulse with color as flowers and swirls weave through the backgrounds. This first day of school story beautifully serves as a mirror for children learning English and as a window into their experience for their classmates. Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled throughout the text with full Spanish translations on each spread. Back matter includes a glossary. VERDICT A bilingual story sure to resonate with ELL students and instill empathy in their classmates.” –School Library Journal – Starred Review

About the Author

Alexandra Alessandri is a Colombian American poet, children’s author, and associate professor of English at Broward College. She lives in Miami, Florida, with her family.

Courtney Dawson is an illustrator with a great love for drawing, reading, and most kinds of ice cream. She lives with her family in Ventura, California.