I’ve been watching some of my favorite childhood movies lately–with and without my children–and have come to the sad realization that some of them have not withstood the test of time.  Mary Poppins, happily, is not one of them.  I popped it in the DVD player and felt some surprise that I had not already introduced my children to the movie.

I’d never watched the movie in Spanish before, though I remember my friends and I trying to say “supercalifragilísticoespialidoso” as fast as we could when I was little.  My boys and I watched it in Spanish and though I kept wanting to sing along in English, I was surprised at how much I liked the Spanish version of the songs and appreciated the creative lyrics, like “Al compás” for “Step in Time.”

I loved experiencing the Blu-Ray version on my huge TV–I definitely never watched it that way as a child.  That was a huge treat, as was watching my children finally get to experience “una de las películas favoritas de Mamá cuando era niña”.

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away one copy of Disney’s Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition DVD to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave us a comment telling us your favorite Marry Poppins song to sing along to. Then, enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer is ending, kids are going back to school, but Disney Home Entertainment has some exciting releases for Fall 2013 that will sure brighten your day, including a favorite Disney movie released from The Vault for the first time: The Little Mermaid!

The Little Mermaid Diamond Edition splashes its ways into homes for the very first time in Blu-ray™ Hi-Def on October 1, 2013 with new breathtaking picture and sound restoration

“Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), is a free-spirited mermaid, who is off on the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend, the adorable Flounder (voiced by Jason Marin), and the reggae-singing Caribbean crab Sebastian (voiced by Samuel E. Wright) at her side. But it will take all of her courage and determination to make her dreams come true—and save her father’s beloved kingdom from the sneaky sea witch Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll).”

Grammy®-nominated music superstar Carly Rae Jepsen (of hit fame “Call Me Maybe”) recorded a new version of The Little Mermaid’s beloved song “Part of Your World,” which will appear as a music video on the upcoming Diamond Edition Blu-ray™ Combo Pack releases. I was able to preview the music video and it was a delightfully modern twist on a classic of my generation.

Disney’s Super Buddies will sure to be a hit with your small kids. Packed with adventure, these furry friends band together to fight crime and learn some valuable lessons along the way.

“Disney’s beloved and adorable ‘Buddies’ are back in a hilarious all-new movie for the whole family — ‘SUPER BUDDIES’ debuts August 27, 2013, on Bluray Combo Pack and DVD.  An action-packed canine adventure, ‘Super Buddies’ stars the world’s most adorable talking puppies – Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud, as caped crusaders em’barking’ on their biggest adventure ever.”

The Giveaway

We are giving away one Disney Home Entertainment prize pack which includes the seven DVD’s pictured above! All you have to do is leave us a comment telling us who you’d like to share these DVD’s with. Then, enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cars 2 in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D is racing into theaters this Friday, June 24th and you know our niños are racing to watch it!

When star race car Lightning McQueen, (voice of Owen Wilson), and tow truck Mater, (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix, Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage!

Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

(Here’s the Spanish version of the trailer!)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe9XFUkltCQ

Rating: G
U.S. Release Date: June 24, 2011

The Giveaway

We’re giving away the following items to one lucky winner.

- CARS 2 t-shirt in your choice of  youth sizes of S, M, L, XL
- CARS 2 set of 3 bumper tickets
- CARS 2 temporary tattoo sheets
- CARS 2 puzzle

Prizes!

To enter just tell us in the comments section below which Cars 2 character is your favorite and why.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post and @SpanglishBaby. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Sunday, July 3rd at midnight PST and is open to everyone over 18 years of age. Check out the Giveaway Rules.

If there’s one thing we all want for our kids, it’s for them to follow even their craziest dreams. We hope that no one can deter them from pursuing what they desire. That’s why it’s so refreshing to read a book like Un Pato en Nueva York, in which the protagonist – an adorable little duck – refuses to stop wishing. He knows in his “pequeño y valiente corazón” that he is destined for the bright lights of Broadway.

This translated version of A Duck in New York City from The Secret Mountain publishers is impressive, to say the least. Its mixed media illustrations by Fil & Julie are worth a second look on every page. Everything from the reeds in the pond to the button wheels on the taxis and the geographically accurate newspaper headlines represents an astoundingly creative approach to book illustration.

While this visually attractive book would appeal to toddlers, it is also appropriate for older children (5-7 years old) who are learning to read in Spanish, because it includes high-level vocabulary, varying verb tenses, and purposeful repetition of several phrases.

Even if you are not confident in your Spanish reading skills, you can enjoy this book with your children. It includes a CD with the audio version of the story and twelve catchy canciones. My favorite is “Una nube quiero ser,” and my son enjoys “Si te gusta el hipopótamo.” This CD will surely replace your child’s favorite sing-along songs for long car rides without driving you crazy.

If you’re searching for a new, quality cuento with a little (actually, a lot) of something extra, this is the book for you and your niños. Enter the giveaway to see why Un pato en Nueva York is worth sharing.

By the way, if you live in Los Angeles, you can catch a performance of Un pato en Nueva York at LéaLA, Feria del Libro en Español de Los Angeles. For more information about this book fair, check out Ana’s post here.

The Giveaway

Speekee TV is a UK-based online series of Spanish episodes aimed at children 2-10 years of age. I had the pleasure of watching all 10 episodes currently available via subscription with my son. Though he speaks fluent Spanish already, he loved the program and asked me to watch it every chance he got.

The format of the videos is great for any age. They feature Speekee (a cute, purple lemur) and a couple other animal puppets, Jim (the company’s co-founder), and five Spanish children speaking, dancing, and singing. Each episode is about 20 minutes long and has a theme based on location: for example, “El Parque” or “La Fiesta.” The images are a mix of real-time video – filmed in Spain – and interesting animations using items on the screen.

I love that the introductory and concluding songs are always the same, though the imagery changes depending on the episode’s theme. Kids can pick up on the lyrics quickly, and they’re the type of tunes that are sure to get stuck in parents’ heads all day! Both the songs and dialogue have Spanish and English subtitles, which make the videos applicable to older children who can read. In addition, there are useful downloadable activity pages with every episode that summarize the new vocabulary.

Cute video and kid-friendly music could describe any Spanish lessons. What sets Speekee TV apart is its quality vocabulary. Speekee has full conversations with his viewers, consistently asking “y tú?” With no prompting from me, my son answered him every time. I imagine that this would be the case even for children who have not been exposed to Spanish before, because of the smart repetition of key phrases. Because it is a European production, Speekee TV features Spain-specific vocabulary and customs, which is great exposure for any of our children who are accustomed to only Latin American Spanish. I highly recommend Speekee TV to all young Spanish learners because it is engaging and contains a variety of conversational topics. The videos are funny and educational, and your children will want to watch them again and again. I, for one, can’t wait for the second installment of episodes: “Speekee 2!”

All of Speekee’s products are perfect for the SpanglishBaby community, especially because they were created by parents with interest and expertise in language learning. Along with Speekee TV, there are DVDs and teaching products available, including a forthcoming Homeschoolers Curriculum and forum. An online subscription is FREE for the first two weeks; thereafter, it is just $7.50 per month (with an option to cancel at any time).

To start your adventures with Speekee, enter the giveaway to win three free months of Speekee TV access.  Go here to enter giveaway –>

THE GIVEAWAY!

Speekee TV is giving away a three month free subscription to one winner.  To enter just leave a comment telling us why you think your child will benefit from Speekee TV.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post and @SpanglishBaby. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Sunday, May 1st at midnight EST and is open to everyone over 18 years of age.  Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Disclosure: We received a sample to review the product. All opinions are our own.

Today, we’re hosting our biggest, hugest, grandísimo, enorme giveaway ever! So big, we had to use a word such as “Extravaganza” for it.  We’ve put together close to $600 in prizes of some of the products that we think would look divinos under any kid’s Holiday tree.

The best part?  Only ONE person will take it all. Sí, ¡TODO! How’s that for holiday joy?

Wait!  There’s another best part.  We’re partnering up with Turning Leaves Foundation to encourage donations to their charity as an option to get additional entries to the giveaway. To learn more about the TLF mission and vision, please visit their brand new website.

I’ll stop right here, and just let the Extravaganza begin!

Barbie Toy Story 3 Made For Each Other Gift Set A close second to Spanish Buzz, or El Buzzo, as the funniest characters on Toy Story 3 are Barbie and Ken. Adding Ken to the Toy Story equation was close to genius and an ideal way to revive him through the mom´s memories of those all-day sagas we used to create featuring Barbie and Ken. Now, my girl sleeps with both of them in her bed. A classic couple that has come back as part of the cast of this year´s best film is sure to be a hot item on many kids wishlist this season. Find it in La Tiendita starting at $58.00 ~Ana L.

Disney Epic Mickey for Wii I have to admit it is a bit odd for us to have a game in the house that features Mickey and it’s being hidden away from our 3 year old girl. She’s definitely too young for the actual video game, and might be freaked out by the darker images of the Mouse who’s usually chirpy and in colorful Playhouses. As soon as she’s in bed, we’ve been sneaking out to grab the Wii controllers, turned magical paint brushes with the power to create or destroy, to get into this magical adventure of Epic proportions and artistic imagery. In Disney Epic Mickey for Nintendo Wii, Disney’s Interactive Studios take you in an adventure with a story that depends on completely on your actions. You will visit The Wasteland where you will run into characters from Disney’s early years, setting a tone of nostalgia to the game. All along, your magic paintbrush will set your game into play. Epic Mickey for Nintendo Wii is available via La Tiendita, starting at $43.99. ~Ana L.

Disney Sing It Family Hits I had no idea my family of three could throw such a rocking karaoke party by ourselves in our living room. Yet, that´s exactly what happens every time my 3 year old girl requests to play Disney Sing It Family Hits. The three of us end up singing and dancing up a storm. The video game, available for Wii and Playstation 3, comes with a microphone so your kid can instantly feel like a singing sensation. Your budding singer has a choice of songs from both classic and contemporary Disney hit movies, such as “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Little Mermaid,” “Cars,” “Toy Story,” “Aladdin,” and many more. We do have a wishlist of songs we would have loved to see here, but, nevertheless, it’s been a hit. Available at La Tiendita, starting at $38.99. ~Ana L.

Fisher Price iXL Learning System for Preschoolers My daughter’s just at the border of the recommended age of 3-7 for use of the iXL 6-in-1 Learning System from Fisher Price, and she’s been having a blast with it.  She will clearly be able to use and learn with it for years to come, thanks to how easy it is to customize the experience by uploading photos, songs, games and new software that transform the iXL into a new digital learning tool in my girl’s hands.  Since we received it, it has been Camila’s go-to entertainment in the car.  Because of the comfortable size and the use of a stylus pen for the touchscreen, she was able to quickly grasp how to use it on her own. Now, we love hearing her talk to it, giggle and sing when she’s playing with it.  It has surely freed up my smartphone in the car for more useful things like Google Maps to get us to our destination! Available in three colors: Pink, Blue and Silver. Find it in La Tiendita, starting at $112.41. ~Ana L.

Muy Bueno Calendar Even if you’re like me and you lack culinary skills  - to put it nicely – (or maybe especially if you’re like me), you’ll want to get your hands on this delicioso calendar which gathers a sample of Yvette Marquez Sharpnack’s authentic Mexican recipes, all featured on her Muy Bueno Cookbook blog, that have been passed along for over three generations.This 12-month calendar features mouth-watering photographs by Jeanine Thurston and the recipes selected will be featured in Yvette’s upcoming Muy Bueno Cook Book. The best part is that a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the calendar (at $18.00 each) will be donated to The Denver Foundation.  Go here to stock up for those on your list. ~Roxana S.

Elmo’s A to Zoo Adventure + Cookie’s Counting Carnival I don’t think I’ve ever met a child who doesn’t like Sesame Street. Now there’s two fun and educational videogames with awesome graphics too! There are seventeen different games to entertain and challenge your child in Elmo’s A to Zoo Adventure videogame. The popular Sesame Street characters Elmo and Zoe give the directions and guide the play. I particularly liked the educational aspect of the games. The skills practiced range from letter identification, the learning of upper and lower case letters, the sounds of letters and even the formation of words. The games also targeted skills such as rhyming, color, and shape identification. You will have a chance to win both Elmo’s A to Zoo Adventure and Cookie’s Counting Carnival, in your choice of Wii, Nintendo DS or PC.  You can also find them at La Tiendita for $29.99 each. ~Susan S.

2010 Holiday Barbie Collector’s Doll em>Bellísima is what I thought when I first saw the 2010 Holiday Barbie Collector Doll. Her dress, a snowy white gown with a red and gold bodice, is absolutely stunning. She also comes dressed with a red wrap, a gorgeous headpiece and chandelier earrings! In other words, she’s ready para las fiestas!  Seeing her made me feel like playing with Barbies again, although I’m not too sure I’d actually play with this one. Whether you want to surprise your little girl with the most magnificent of dolls or you want to add this one to your collection – or maybe even get your collection started – this will surely make any doll-lover on your list incredibly happy!  Grab her at La Tiendita for $40.95. ~Roxana S.

Hallmark Recordable Storybooks I absolutely love this idea of Recordable Storybooks from Hallmark and I think it works especially well for those of you who don’t have your extended family nearby. My sister, who is also my daughter’s godmother, travels a whole lot so she’s barely ever in town – and when she is, she lives in the mountains so it’s not like she can come over and read my daughter a bedtime story any night of the week. So when we got the recordable storybook from Hallmark, I immediately thought of her. She came over, recorded the story (she actually translated the text to Spanish in keeping with our mL@H method) and then gave it to my daughter who couldn’t hide her surprise when she heard her Tata’s (that’s what she calls my sister) voice reading a beautiful personalized book about a princess to her! The winner of this giveaway will be able to choose one of the 15 stories in the collection, including “The Night Before Christmas,” “The Very First Christmas,” “Guess How Much I Love You,” amongst others.  At La Tiendita you’ll find them starting at $20.00. ~Roxana S.

Scholastic Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics #2 100 award-winning and classic children’s stories are faithfully adapted and brought to rich life in The Scholastic Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics #2, a comprehensive 17-DVD collection, the follow-up to the original best-selling treasury.  There’s a story in here to match my daughter’s mood every day. The most-requested one has been Corduroy, followed by Giggle, Gigge Quack. Nine of the 100 stories come in Spanish, including Curious George Rides a Bike, Stone Soup and Where the Wild Things Are, a detail your bilingual niño will love because he will be able to understand every single story in the collection!  This is one of those holiday gifts that will instantly become a favorite and will stay around for a while.  The read-along feature helps these videos grow along with our kid´s abilities.  The retail price of the set is $99.99, but La Tiendita has them starting at $48.49.~Ana L.

Fix-It and Forget-It Kids’ Cookbook It had never occurred to me that a perfect way to get kids safely in the kitchen–with no open flames or burning stoves–was to use the slow cooker.  I recently discovered Fix-It and Forget-It Kids’ Cookbook: 50 Favorite Recipes to Make in a Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good.  This simple and colorful cookbook offers kids the direction and encouragement they need to prepare easy-to-make, tasty meals—everything from main courses to snacks and even desserts.  With full-page pictures to inspire your sight, and step-by-step format of the recipes, it is easy to be encourage to get together in the kitchen with the little ones.With recipes such as Easy Taco Filing , Tempting Tortilla Casserole and Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake, the budding chef on your list will be back in the kitchen cooking up a storm.  Get it at La Tiendita for $13.59.~Ana L.

Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook I´ve been driving my friends crazy asking them for slow cooker recipes because I really need to learn to rely on the thing.  With the Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook: 600 Slow Cooker Holiday Recipes, by Phyllis Pellman Good, I got what I asked for, and too much more! The book is packed with 600 holiday recipes, but lacks in the pictures department.  I always prefer my cookbooks to have good visuals, but what this one lacks in looks, it gives in content. Her Christmas recipes will fill your head with menu ideas, give you gentle guidance with each recipe, and deliver dishes that your friends and family will crave. The Fix-It and Forget It cookbooks have sold nearly 10 million copies. Fans credit the popularity of the cookbooks to their accessible recipes, geared to those with little time or confidence to cook….like me.  Only $10.85 at La Tiendita.~Ana L.

Piñata Party Music CD Moona Luna is one band I want to see perform live. Yes, I did say I want to see a kid’s band because I am sure I would enjoy this music and live performance as much as my girl will. In fact, I would be such the groupie since I’d probably be singing all the songs out loud.  I already do every time Moona Luna’s debut album “Piñata Party” is requested by my girl.  She calls it “La Vaca” because of the colorful cow on the album’s cover. Moona Luna is led by singer-songwriter Sandra Velasquez, who’s better known as the lead of Latin-alternative band, Pistolera.  Her bilingual CD for children, inspired after the birth of her daughter, has that alt-indie vibe to it but with a playfulness and energy level that instantly traps kids of any language or cultural heritage.  Moona Luna’s CD fits perfectly in any stocking and can be found at La Tiendita for $9.87.~Ana L.

Music With Sara: Canciones en Español is extra special to us. Sara Quintanar is a Los Angeles musician and mom of two bilingual girls who leads very popular children’s music classes in the L.A. area.  She’s also the bi-weekly music teacher at my daughter’s family daycare, where she takes her instruments and canciones en español for a preschooler rocking concert.  This year, Sara recorded a CD, “Canciones en Español. Music With Sara.” with the help of kids in the Franklin Elementary Spanish Dual Language Immersion program.  I can honestly say, it has been the most-played CD Camila has ever had. It got to the point where that was all she would let us play for her; even so, we never got bored of it. Sarah´s voice is captivating and her energy is released in every song. Go here to listen to the playlist and you will immediately recognize the talent the kids have no trouble adoring.~Ana L.

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi Bilingual Book and CD Well-known and respected bilingual educator and children’s performer, Jose Luis Orozco, shares music that is meant to connect children with their heritage.  Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi is perfect for kids 2-7 years old and those just learning to read both words and music.  The book has gorgeous illustrations, the lyrics to the song, as well as a music sheet.  It is all meant to be used in conjunction for a rich learning-language-through-music experience.  Get both the book and the CD via La Tiendita.~Ana L.

World Christmas Party In classic Putumayo tradition, the World Christmas Party brings the sounds from around the globe to you in one CD.  These 12 tracks of traditional Christmas songs are injected with sabor thanks to the collaborations of stars such as Poncho Sanchez, Ed Calle with Arturo Sandoval, María de Baroos and José Conde, amongst others.  Picture yourself and your kids swaying hips and singing-out-loud while you blast these tunes and bring the fiesta to the Holiday celebrations.  With a $12.86 price tag at La Tiendita, you want to snatch it now!~Ana L.

CROSSWORD BLOCKS A favorito from awesome bilingual toy maker, Ingenio. This one is basically a combination of blocks and crossword puzzles. Each of the 20 blocks has two letters and things that start with those particular letters in both Spanish and English. The blocks are pretty sturdy, the images on them colorful and the letters simple and legible. The game comes with six bilingual crossword puzzles in the following categories: el transporte, los animales de la granja, las mascotas, las frutas, la casa and el cuerpo all of which you can hopefully use to start teaching your niños how to spell. The blocks can also be used for what they are: building towers, in this case, word towers. One of the best things about Ingenio toys is that they are intended to grow with our children. We’ve had our for over a year and Vanessa still likes to play with it – especially know that she recognizes almost every letter in the alphabet!  ind it at La Tiendita for $12.99. ~Roxana S.

MATH-O-MATIC Numbers are really not my thing, but my daughter – like most kids her age – seems to be intrigued by them. She’s been attracted to this particular bilingual game by Ingenio ever since we got it last year, but now that she recognizes the numbers, she likes it even more. The game comes with individual cards with the numbers from 1-20. They’re all two-sided and bilingual. On one side there’s just a large, colorful number. On the flip side is the word for that number in both English and Spanish as well as objects that correspond to each particular number.Once your child is ready to start learning basic math concepts you can introduce the 22 math cards which are basically a rectangle with an equation that’s missing one number or sign.  Your child needs to use her budding math skills to “fill in the blank.” In the process, she’ll be learning number sequencing, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. My 4-year-old daughter has already started with the addition and subtraction and she thinks it’s super fun! I hope she always feels like that. Find it at La Tiendita for $12.99. ~Roxana S.

Witty Planet DVD The Bubba interactive DVDs are ideal to fostering the little ones’ intellectual and sensory development and to expose non-spanish speaking children to the Spanish language in a  fun way.  All of Bubba’s DVDs, as well as the rest of the line, have been created by specialists in early childhood development.  What Línea Descubriendo gets right is that the best way to engage children into learning language or any concepts through the use of media is to get them involved with what they are watching and listening. The images, the puppets, the short sequences and the songs  make it all come to life and, in our case, got my girl dancing and repeating what she was hearing.  The winner will get to pick one of the five DVDs in the catalog.  A perfect gift to foster the love of Spanish on a child. Find it for $16.99 at the Witty Planet store.~Ana L.

Thomas the Tank Engine Party Package Thomas the Tank Engine has just been nominated for Toy Property of the Year. The 2011 winner will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held before the start of American International Toy Fair on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.  This is the first time voting for TIA’s “Toy of the Year” categories will be open to the public. You can vote for Thomas the Tank Engine by visiting www.toyawards.org.

THE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!

Update:  We have a winner!!! Congratulations to KALEN, who won with comment #99! We are excited that one of our most loyal readers won such a huge giveaway, and that her winning comment was from a donation to Turning Leaves Foundation. It all comes full circle. Thanks to all who participated!

We have one item of each of the products we reviewed on this post to give away to one winner. Yes, ONE person will take them ALL. A retail value of almost $600 of crazy, cool holiday gifts. To enter, please leave a comment telling us how you inject your culture and traditions into your Holiday celebrations.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, and support a charity this holiday season, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above): **Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1.Donate a minimum of $5 to Turning Leaves Foundation and help give children and their families the educational and emotional group support needed to cope with the demands that chronic illness imposes.  Just click on the PayPal button below and it will take you to their donations page.  You will get THREE additional entries for the donation. You must leave three different comments saying you did so.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post and @SpanglishBaby. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

This giveaway ends Sunday, December 12 at midnight EST and you must have a valid US address to enter.

Disclosure: We received a sample of the products to review.  All opinions reflected are our own.

Check out the Giveaway Rules.

If you’re a regular reader of SpanglishBaby, you know that I’m a book lover and that there’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing my daughter follow in my footsteps. Books have always been an escape for me and even when I’ve been at my busiest – like when Vanessa was born and I didn’t even have time to shower – they have been my constant companions.

That’s why I’m so excited to announce the launch of our newest monthly series: ReadMe. We have teamed up with several Bilingual/Spanish children’s book publishers to bring you a review of a new book every month. The post will include an interview with the author in which we will specifically touch upon the subject of raising bilingual and bicultural children.

Although we’ve written several book reviews in the past, Ana and I decided to create ReadMe because we want to have a series dedicated exclusively to literacy and bilingualism. We all have heard or know the importance of reading when raising bilingual kids. We want to reinforce how fundamental this activity is by highlighting the options we all have available when it comes to bilingual children’s literature.

We also want to encourage you to read to your children or – if they’re old enough to do it themselves – to help you inspire them to do so. That’s why each monthly ReadMe will also include a giveaway of the book we’ll be reviewing

The Case of the Pen Gone Missing/El Caso de la Pluma Perdida

We’re launching ReadMe with a review of a book intended for elementary school-aged children. The book is called The Case of the Pen Gone Missing and it was written by René Saldaña, Jr. The publisher, Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press, was featured in our recent post about Latino Publishing Houses.

René Saldaña, Jr. is the author of The Whole Sky Full of Stars (Random House, 2007), The Jumping Tree (Delacorte, 2001), and Finding Our Way: Stories (Random House, 2003). He lives in Lubbock, Texas, where he teaches in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. Saldaña, and his Swedish wife, are raising their two children trilingual.

His short mystery, The Case of the Pen Gone Missing, is the first in a series of three featuring fifth-grader, Mickey Rangel, a “Web-licensed” kid detective. Even though it’ll be several years before Vanessa is able to enjoy this book, it was a nice treat for me.

“I’m fascinated by detective stories, love watching the crime scene shows, both fictional and real on television, love reading crime novelists and think fondly still to this day of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books,” Saldaña explained in an interview via email.

And that’s exactly what I thought of when I read it. My earliest memories of checking out books from the library take me back to my bilingual elementary school in Perú, fourth grade and Nancy Drew. I remember devouring those mysteries and anxiously going back for more. Although I’m no longer that child, I remember those books fondly because the author was able to spark my curiosity so as to make me come back for more. I can see how Saldaña’s writing would do the same for young readers. Not to mention the fact that Saldaña’s portrayal of a fifth grader and his classmates is painstainkingly accurate – including a “bully-type” character, a popular girl and all the emotions that go with having a crush on that “unattainable” girl.

One of the best things about this title is that Arte Público Press/Piñata Books has translated it into Spanish. All you have to do is flip the book around and voilà, you’ll get la versión en español, front cover and all.

“The two languages meet in the middle, which I think is very cool because they’ve done away with the issue of which language takes precedence over the other (as happens with other translations: English and Spanish alternating from one page to the next, or the English version as the first half, Spanish the second),” according to Saldaña.

Lots of you have asked about literacy, the minority language and older children. Both the author and I can assure you that this book is for you. Check out the rest of Saldaña’s interview and you’ll see why:

SB: How would you say parents raising their kids bilingual can “use” your book to do so?

“I think it depends on the grasp of the languages on the parts of the kids. Say, they’re like my boys: English mastery, learning Swedish and Spanish in the home: I’d have the kids read the story in English so that the kids can know what happens as the characters do their thing. Then I’d read the Spanish aloud along with them. This might take a bit longer, though the book is quite short and it can be done. Or if they’ve got a good grasp of reading themselves, they know the story now, so they can pick up the Spanish version and have at it. I’d think of reading it in both languages as a parent to be able to talk about the nuances of language. For example, I would use the phrase ‘nos movimos‘, for ‘we moved.’ My mom says it ‘nos mudamos‘. It’d make for some nice family talk time. Showing how languages share lots in common sometimes, sometimes not.”

SB: As a writer and a teacher, can you talk about the importance of literacy?

René Saldaña, Jr.

“I think we do a disservice to our community when we, as parents especially, don’t take a more active role in our children’s reading and writing lives. It’s not enough anymore to simply support them and to push them forward, regarding their educational careers. We have to learn what all we can be doing in the home to help them be successful. Reading aloud, for example, is not a thing just for teachers to do. We need to do it in the home for our children. Mem Fox states in one of her books, Reading Magic, I think, that if kids are not read to in the home, that when they get to kindergarten, they are years behind already, and teachers are having to play catch-up with them while the others who are read to are at level or more likely well beyond and moving ever forward. And can you imagine how much better off our kids will be when we’re reading aloud to them in one, two, or three languages!”

SB: Growing up, how important was reading in your family?

“In the home, my parents read. My mother got her Selecciones and she’d forgo cooking and even her telenovelas to read through it, sometime sharing with us around the table bits and pieces she’d found that she thought we’d enjoy. My father read the Bible on a nightly basis. They gave us money to buy books at school through Troll Magazine. But it wasn’t until I started hanging out with readers, folks who talked about the reading that they were doing, who invited me into the conversation and who weren’t grading me or forcing me to participate in the actual discussion but who afforded me the opportunity to participate on the periphery that I began to read like a wanna-be writer, and then I started writing, mostly copying/emulating the big names. And then I found my voice, which was the voice of deep South Texas, the voice of a Mexican American growing up on the border, on so many borders.

SB: Were you raised bilingual and are you raising your kids bilingual?

I was raised in a bilingual community: that is to say, I got Spanish in the home (my parents spoke only Spanish, and it wasn’t until years later that my dad learned English; nevertheless, we never spoke it in the home) and English in school. Odd, though, how my formal training in English didn’t start until kinder. I had to have gotten it somewhere else. TV, maybe? My older sister? I can’t recall. But I got a mastery of both early on.

And my wife is Swedish, so we are trying to raise our kids in a trilingual home. It’s very difficult because I don’t speak Swedish and my wife doesn’t speak Spanish, so we use English in the home, and Spanish becomes the language of Abuelo and Abuela when they call, and Swedish becomes the language of Mormor and Morfar when they call. It’s odd, though, how the boys, from a young, young age could distinguish between the two other languages.

The Giveaway

I hope you enjoyed reading our first installment of ReadMe as much as I enjoyed writing it… Now, as promised, we will be giving away a copy of Saldaña’s short mystery to one lucky reader. To win, please tell us below why you’d like to win and how you would “use” this particular book to raise your children bilingual.

Giveaway rules.

This giveaway ends at midnight EST on Sunday, July 26, 2009. Entries/Comments that do not follow the submission guidelines will be invalid and automatically deleted.  Sorry, just need to keep  it fair. Good luck to all!

It’s been five months since the official launch of SpanglishBaby. In this time we’ve come to the realization that, although it’s not the one Ana and I use, the majority of you out there are raising your kiddos bilingual by means of the One Parent-One Language (OPOL) method.

We first started noticing the trend from the questions and comments we got from all our readers and then through the answers to a survey we recently conducted. Out of the responses we got to the question: “I use this method to teach my child a second language…” the overwhelming one was OPOL. In other words, according to the results, 44% of those of you who participated in the poll use the OPOL method.

Truth be told, the results come as no surprise. According to Raising a Bilingual Child by Barbara Zurer Pearson, one of our very own experts, “In 1902, in the first printed advice that we are aware of on how to raise a bilingual child, (Maurice) Grammont proposed OPOL. It has continued to be the favored strategy in many parts of the world, especially in Europe and Canada.”

Even though we’ve touched upon this subject before, Ana and I figured it was time to give a more in-depth look at this ever-so-popular method of accomplishing the task of raising bilingual kids. Thus, we’ll be dedicating this whole week to the OPOL method including our regular Ask an Expert series – which is moving to Wednesday this week only – and a Your Story guest post by someone who has been doing the OPOL thing successfully for the last four years.

Today, we’ll start with a look at some of the top concerns of parents using this method. You probably noticed that for the past few weeks, we’ve had an on-going poll regarding this subject. Thanks to all who participated and in case you didn’t get a chance to look at the results yourself, here’s a snapshot:

The results actually confirmed what we’d kind of deduced all along. Most of you using this method worry that your children are not getting enough of the minority language which, for those of us living in the U.S., means anything but English. Obviously, this makes a lot of sense since we are surrounded by English yet many of us don’t have the luxury to live in “bilingual communities” where Spanish – to use the most common minority language as an example – is spoken and heard as much as English, i.e. Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, you get the point…

This issue is perfectly reflected in this comment from Maria that we got in our Forums: “For us the biggest challenge is getting enough minority language input. Although I am home with the kids (Spanish ml) they still hear lots of English, including most conversations between my husband and myself since his Spanish is not fluent and so us speaking English is often most practical. Plus in general despite my constant efforts to search out Spanish in any/every way shape and form, the community still surrounds us with English and I feel like its a constant effort to keep Spanish in the mix.”

We’ve written extensively about how to deal with this concern and you can find that information in this Ask an Expert post, in this one about boosting the minority language and in this post about creative activities to help your children keep up with their Spanish.

What to Expect:

Following is a taste of what we have prepared for our OPOL Week. We hope you find it useful and, as usual, we encourage you to leave comments, questions or to just share your own experiences. Remember this is the best way for all of us to learn!

• TUESDAY – Pediatrician and author of the book, 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child, Dr. Naomi Steiner, will share with us why she believes the OPOL method is the way to go when raising a bilingual child.
• WEDNESDAY – Our weekly Ask an Expert series with an OPOL-specific question answered by Suzanne Barron-Hauwaert, author of Language Strategies for Bilingual Families – The One Parent-One Language Approach and the blog: Notes from the OPOL Family.
  
• THURSDAY - A guest post from one of our loyal readers – and the founder of my bilingual playgroup. Many of you who are just starting your bilingual journey have asked if the OPOL method actually works. This post will be proof that it does!
• FRIDAY - A list of resources/articles/websites compiled specifically for those of you using or thinking about using the OPOL method.

***And, as if all this weren’t enough, we will be giving away a copy of Dr. Steiner’s 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child, every single day this week, starting today

Before signing off, I want to say kudos to all of you who are raising your children bilingual using the OPOL method. Ana and I are both in awe of your discipline and commitment and we know your kids will eventually be forever grateful for your efforts. Keep up the awesome work – you inspire us all!

This giveaway is now closed. You can still enter for another chance every day this week. Congratulations to our winner: NATHALIE SIMMONS JORGE!

To win a copy of Dr. Naomi Steiner’s book:

All you have to do is leave us a comment sharing something about the OPOL method, whether it be a question, a concern, a challenge, a tip, pros/cons, an anecdote, anything that will add to the online conversation about this popular method.

We’ll be giving away one copy per day and you can enter once per day. Today’s giveaway will end tonight at midnight EST. Make sure you’re subscribed either by RSS or email so you don’t miss out on this highly informative and useful OPOL week.

Giveaway rules.

{Photo By UNC – CFC – USFK}

My daughter is at the ripe age where new words are just constantly flying out of her mouth every day.  I’m in total awe of this natural language-acquisition process of an almost two-year old.

I’m also in awe that she’s definitely already a bilingual little niña, using her hundreds of new words to construct mini Spanglish sentences, like: “Más jugo, please.” “Shoe acá pié.”

I’m totally not bothered by it because that’s exactly how my own brain functions, moving seamlessly from one language to the other.

That’s why the language-introduction approach used in the Professor Pocket CDs was completely relevant to us. Professor Pocket is a family-owned company that’s created two bilingual (Spanish/English) CDs and supplemental materials to help children develop a lifelong passion for learning languages.

At first, I thought Camila was still too young to completely understand and follow the storyline in “Our Silly Farm Adventure” since it’s recommended for children ages 2 and up. That was not the case at all. Maybe she still doesn’t grasp the context of what she is listening to, but she loves the silly animal sounds, the catchy songs and the identifiable kids’ voices. I’ve also caught her adorably repeating the key words and anticipating the songs many times.

You will like:

• How it naturally and aptly flows from English to Spanish through the wacky interaction of the three main characters: Professor Pocket (English), Desi the Dinosaur and Chico the Chicken (mostly Spanish).
• The original story lines with just the correct dose of silliness to entertain toddlers and older kids alike. A dinosaur on a farm?  Yes, it’s far-fetched, but it works.
• Spanish words and key concepts are effectively reinforced with the use of songs which you will find yourself singing along to in no time, like: “¡Ay, caramba! No hay dinosaurios” and “La la la la Leche” (a song about a cow that produces chocolate milk, yum!).
• PERFECT FOR LONG CAR RIDES!! OK, in my book, this should be reason enough to love these CDs. Your child will be absorbed, entertained, she’ll learn new words in both English and Spanish and you’ll have a smile on your face from watching her dance in her seat and imitate the voices she hears. At least I do.

The two mom’s behind Professor Pocket, Nathalie and Paula, want to give you a chance to win a free copy of both “Our Silly Farm Adventure” and “Our Hawaiian Hula Adventure.”

To enter to WIN:

All you have to do for your chance to win is visit the Professor Pocket website Shop section where you can listen to samples of some of the songs on both CDs. Come back here and leave us a comment telling us which song you liked and why. Please be detailed so we know you visited their site.

If you want to increase your chances of winning you can get additional entries by doing any of the following.

1.  Blog and/or tweet about this giveaway. Please leave an additional comment with the link.

2. Subscribe to our feed via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with. And please do verify the subscription once you receive the email to do so. We will check in order to validate the entry.

3. Subscribe via RSS. Once you do, or if you’re already a subscriber, email us the “Secret Phrase” at the bottom of the post to: giveaways@SpanglishBaby.com.

4.  Become a fan of our Facebook page.  Leave us another comment letting us know you did so.

This contest will close tonight at midnight PST Sunday, July 5th at midnight EST…so don’t hesitate and enter now. These two Professor Pocket CDs could be yours!!!

For the part that nobody likes, but we’ve gotta have, check out the Giveaway Rules.

Scroll down to the next post for another giveaway from fabulous t-shirt line with a Latin attitude: ChíChí&Flaco

No worries, we’ll always take care of well-deserving Mamis and Papis.

Carrie, one of our amigas mamás blogueras that always keeps us in wonder as to how the heck she manages to be a super star bloguera, PR whiz, journalist, entrepreneur, wife and mamá, has created ChíChí&Flaco-a line of t-shirts and accessories for babies, kids and adults that will satisfy the Latino in you.

Not all Latinas are t-shirt wearers, I can attest to that, but the cheeky messages created with an avid eye for design on these shirts will definitely put you center stage.

After her success launching the Los Polllitos Dicen line of onesies and t-shirts,  Carrie and her designer friend Oscar, paired up to create some fab and original designs that attest to the vibrant and sassy Latino culture.

I was loving all the attention I got when I paired up my fitted “Café con Leche” shirt with a long, flowy peasant skirt. I live in a very trendy and hipster area of Los Angeles, so trust me when I tell you people around here won’t even throw you a charity glance if they’re not liking your style. I proved “Café con Leche” has style!

Some of our favorites are:

• “¡Vive con Ganas!”
• “Feliz Cumpleaños” printed under a colorful donkey piñata in sizes for babies and kids
• “¡Porque Sí!”

Want to pick one and indulge in it yourself? Here’s your chance!!

But before we tell you what you need to do to win a ChíChí&Flaco t-shirt, we´ll let you in on a generous deal for SpanglishBaby friends: use the code AMIGOS2009 for a 25% discount on your purchase in the Los Pollitos Dicen online store. Perfect gift for a baby to celebrate his Latino heritage.

To enter to WIN:

All you have to do for your chance to win a t-shirt of your choice is head over to the ChíChí&Flaco shop and tell us which t-shirt you’d like to win and why. Please be as specific as possible so we know you’ve visited the site.

If you want to increase your chances of winning you can get additional entries by doing any of the following.  You probably know the drill by now!

1.  Blog and/or tweet about this giveaway or about our whole week of Bilingual Summer Fun giveaways. Please leave an additional comment with the link.

2. Subscribe to our feed via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with. And please do verify the subscription once you receive the email to do so. We will check in order to validate the entry.

3. Subscribe via RSS. Once you do, or if you’re already a subscriber, email us the “Secret Phrase” at the bottom of the post to: giveaways@SpanglishBaby.com.

4.  Become a fan of our Facebook page.  Leave us another comment letting us know you did so.

This contest will close Sunday, July 5th.

Happy 4th of July.  Let´s all go out and celebrate our Independence!

For the part that nobody likes, but we’ve gotta have, check out the Giveaway Rules.

Thank you for a great Bilingual Summer Fun week of giveaways!  We were thrilled to share it with you.