Albertina anda arriba / Albertina Goes Up
Nancy María Grande Tabor grew up in Loreto, Mexico. She attended the University of the Americas in Mexico City and received her master's degree in education from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"I am a product of two cultures. In a way, I belong to both the United States and Mexico and in a way, I am a stranger. But this gives me an advantage because I can address both cultures and inform each culture about the other culture. This has been the basis for the children's books I am creating. It is because of the great need I see to bridge cultures that I began these books.
Read more about Nancy.
Chicago Parent
Albertina anda arriba/Albertina Goes Up also features a bright collage for each letter in "el abecedario" paired with a silly sentence. One of the silliest: "Zazil zapatea zamb en el zacate/Zazil tap dances knock-kneed in the grass" --and "Zazil is una zorra" (a fox!). The repeated questions "Puedes encontrar?/Can you find...?" with a list of objects to look for in the pictures encourages children to listen and answer in their second language.
The Reading Teacher
The Spanish alphabet is introduced by a humorous assortment of animals. Alliteration is used to describe the actions of the animals. ("Albertina anda arriba en el avion," n.p.) The sound of each letter is highlighted as listeners are challenged to examine the illustration to find objects that begin with the letter sound: La arana, la abeja, los arboles. The English translation is presented alongside the Spanish text.
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-88106-418-6
Ages: 3-7
Page count: 32
8 x 10