Pio Peep, Del Sol Books

$121.38 for the Bilingual Collection Green Books and CDs Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 5 Hardcover Bilingual Books, 4 Softcover Bilingual Books, 2 Bilingual Music CDs, and 1 Spanish Music CD

Here is a groundbreaking bilingual collection of traditional rhymes that celebrates childhood and Spanish and Latin American heritage. From playing dress up to making tortillas, and from rising at daybreak to falling asleep, these joyful rhymes are sure to delight young readers.

Passed down from generation to generation, the twenty-nine rhymes included have been lovingly selected by distinguished authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. English adaptations by Alice Schertle capture the spirit of each rhyme and have a charm all their own. Accompanied by enchanting illustrations by Spanish artist Viví Escrivá, this collection is destined to become a beloved classic for children already familiar with the rhymes as well as those encountering them for the first time.

Watch or Listen to Vienna Rose read Pio Peep to you. A marvelous example of the magical encounter between a child and books that we wish for all children. And here's an earlier reading by Vienna Rose, and an even earlier reading.

Bulldog Librarian : The author’s intent of this book was to “stimulate children to read” and that’s exactly what it will do. The poems are fun and whimsical and children will gravitate towards them. Because these poems are from an oral folktale background, the rhyming “bounce” to them will keep children and adults entertained. Some of them should also be easy for young readers to tackle independently. The authors collected these rhymes and songs from all the nineteen Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. They purposely selected well known rhymes so many generations can share the book together. The authors also note the selections are personal to them because they selected rhymes that they cherished in their own childhood. The book contains an informative author’s note, table of contents and introduction page. The author’s note and introduction should definitely be read because they explain the purpose of the book. The authors chose to create a “poetic re-creation” and not just translate the Spanish rhyme into English. Their explanation is helpful and guides the reader into deeper appreciation of the dual language rhyme sets. “Here the Bird Laid the Egg / Aqui puso la pajarita el huevo” (pg 18-19) will be a favorite for students. The plot is simple and easy to understand. The sequence of events is laid out in a timely fashion. With the ending, “and this fat rascal gobbled it up!” kids will cheer because of the simple joke. Students will be able to relate to Escrivá’s watercolor illustrations because the faces look like they do. Like the small nest on page 19, the little details added will delight young readers. “The Elephants / Los elefantes” (pg 32-35) involves simple actions and easily understood humor. Students will quickly grasp that elephants can’t swing from a spider’s web and that there will be some kind of consequence. The anticipation will build and students will have fun deciding what exactly happens next. Escrivá’s large illustrations will appeal to children because the elephants look playful and childlike.

School Library Journal : PreSchool-Grade 2 Following in the tradition of Margot Griego's Tortillitas para Mama (Holt, 1995) and Jose-Luis Orozco's Diez deditos (Dutton, 1997) comes this stellar collection of nursery rhymes. Selected from the rich oral tradition of Latin America and the American Southwest, most of the verses are known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The rhymes cover everything from early morning birds to elephants to angels, and the reason for their enduring popularity is clear. Deeply rhythmic verses, compelling rhyme schemes, and words that "play trippingly on the tongue" characterize every verse. Schertle's excellent English adaptations are not literal translations but poetic re-creations. They retain the rhythm, meter, and general meaning of the originals, making the rhymes as memorable and memorizable in English as they are in Spanish. Escriv 's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations use brilliant hues and detail to reconstruct a young child's world. Certain to become a staple for preschool and early elementary programs, this offering is also a wonderful, reassuring lap book. A must-purchase for libraries.

Booklist : PreS. As the preface to this delightful book states, nursery rhymes and songs are an important part of Spanish oral folklore. The 29 rhymes here--some accompanied by finger plays or games, and some simply meant to be chanted on their own--in most cases came to the Americas from Spain. They are presented both in Spanish and in English, although "to preserve the charm of the original rhymes," the English versions are not translations but "poetic recreations." Even adult readers with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish will see some of the differences, but both versions have a sweet, rhythmic simplicity that will get children singing, clapping, and perhaps making some forays into a new language. The watercolor illustrations, featured prominently on the page, are a mix of historical and contemporary, generic Latin American scenes, and pictures of animals (not Escriva's artistic strong suit). Parents, teachers, and librarians will find a multitude of uses.

School Library Journal : "Stellar…The rhymes cover everything from early morning birds to elephants to angels."

Amazon :

Google : El sol es de oro la luna es de plata y las estrellitas son de hoja de lata. The sun's a gold medallion. The moon's a silver ball. The little stars are only tin; I love them best of all. Here is a groundbreaking bilingual collection of traditional rhymes that celebrates childhood and Spanish and Latin American heritage. From playing dress up to making tortillas, and from rising at daybreak to falling asleep, these joyful rhymes are sure to delight young readers.

Kathy the Crazy Celtic Librarian : This volume is a perfect companion to Jane Yolen’s THIS LITTLE PIGGY which is Anglo-European/American in focus. Thirty poems from the folklore tradition are featured in this bilingual text. It is a multicultural poetry collection with talented and famous contributors. Ada has won dozens of awards and collaborated with the celebrated Spanish artist, illustrator, and marionette maker from Madrid, Vivi Escriva on many volumes. Many will recognize the name Alice Schertle, as an author and poet with over 30 children’s books to her credit. Campoy brings a variety of experiences to play as co-editor of this delightful book. She is a playwright, researcher of Hispanic culture, renowned poet and storyteller. The care and passion woven into the book is obvious after only a page or two is turned. The authors offer a seminal introduction that is more of a plea than a justification for the uses of poetry, folklore, song, and play both in the home and in the classroom. The detailed “About the Authors” page is equally well written and impassioned. Ada states, “The words of nursery rhymes give both wings and roots to my soul.” And that she says is the reason she continually looks for ways to share them with children. Campoy is no less passionate when she proclaims, “The word, when sung, conveys the pleasure of rhythm, just like a beating heart!” The all agree that folklore is often a child’s first experience with literature and be a precursor to learning to read. The poem, “The Little Boat” seems to naturally follow the tune of “Miss Mary Mack” featured in THIS LITTLE PIGGY. The text notes tell us that “Sea Serpent” is played just like “London Bridge.” The book is populated with dolls, angels, tortillas, animals, and cinnamon. It is truly a challenge to choose a favorite verse but I must say that “Now Softy the Roses” and “Sleep Now, My Baby” are noteworthy additions to the collection. As in THIS LITTLE PIGGY finger plays, games, lullabies, and traditional rhymes are included. A wonderful addition to any personal, educational or professional collection.

Lindsey Hammonds : ˇPio Peep! is a fabulous collection of Spanish oral folklore nursery rhymnes. The original compilation was created by Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. This bilingual book contains the original nursery rhyme and then a "poetic re-creation" of Spanish poems. So although, the poems might not be translated perfectly, the main features and purpose of the story remains true. Poems range from two to ten lines and magnificiently detail the Hispanic culture. The nursery rhymes include stories about birds, five little chicks, a snail, wolf pups, and a boy going to the city to possibly get engaged. Each page contains enormous brightly colored illustrations that take up almost all of the page. In general, on one side of the page is the Spanish poem and then on the other is the English poem. Children will love to read each poem and older bilingual children will love to compare the two rhymes. This collection of traditional Hispanic nursery rhymes will be a great addition to any poetry collection.

A Warner : In this compilation, traditional Spanish language nursery rhymes from Spain and Latin America are represented. The collectors note that the thirty rhymes present were chosen to represent the many traditional Spanish language rhymes. Although the English versions of the rhymes appear next to the Spanish ones, they are not direct translations. Instead, Schertle has tried to capture the essence of the poem and made sure it rhymes in English, even if the words used are different than the Spanish version. A sing-song quality is present in most of the rhymes and exemplified in “Pito, Pito, Colorito:” “Pito, pito, colorito,/ donde vas tu, tan bonito?/ Voy al campo de la era./ A la escuela verdadera.” Whether the reader is familiar with the language, these rhymes beg to be sung aloud. The watercolor illustrations permeate the pages, filling them with greens and blues and infusing the compilation with a sense of growth and comfort. While the difference in poem content between the Spanish and English versions may be distracting to some bilingual readers, the illustrations give the book a unifying quality. The advantages of sharing this collection are numerous, including affirming the important place this culture has in the traditional literature and poetry genres.

Karen's Thoughts : PIO PEEP! Starts by giving brief background information on Spanish oral folklore and how the selections for this anthology were made. The introduction, found in both Spanish and English, explains to parents the benefits of reading poetry and why the English recreations might have slight variations from the original Spanish poems. With poems written in the original Spanish language and accompanied by the English recreations, this poetry collection would benefit the beginning English Language Learner that has an interest in poems. Bright, simplistic illustrations capture the attention of even the youngest children as the poems are read aloud. With the poems coming from the Spanish heritage, Escriva does an excellent job of illustrating the characters so that they accurately and respectfully represent the Hispanic culture, allowing a sense of pride to develop for the Hispanic readers and listeners as the poems are shared with various cultural groups. The poems have a sing-song rhythm that lends itself well to reading aloud with young children.

Lynda Smith : This bilingual collection showcases traditiional Hispanic nursery rhymes. Stemming from oral folklore, these verses have been passed down for many generations. While similar to the types of mother goose rhymes children from North America learned, many retain their own special Hispanic flavor. An example is in the words to Tortillitas para Mama (Tortillas for Mommy) and Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding) which mention traditional Hispanic foods. La Pinata shows the delight of a traditional game enjoyed by Hispanic children. Other poems about animals and family life could be from any culture but reading them aloud in both English and Spanish adds a special element. The Spanish language has its' own rhythm which sounds very musical even to those who don't understand all the words. Watercolor illustrations beautifully grace each page. Scenes of children playing and enjoying life, animals and nature all create images to complement the poems. This is a beautiful collection to share with young children and is recommended for PreK to grade 2.

Free Webs : For and Campoy have selected 29 traditional Latin American and American Southwest rhymes to include in this poetry collection. All of the poems have a clear rhythm and catchy rhymes with a sense of musical sounds to the listeners, “Pito, pito, colorito,/Donde vas tu, tan bonito?/Voy al campo de la era./A la escuela verdadera.” Schertle has written English adaptations instead of straight translations so the English versions stay true to the original meanings and the rhythm and rhyme of the poems. Escriva’s watercolor and colored pencil illustrations in bright hues lend welcome visuals to enhance each poem. This collection works well for reading aloud, in both English and Spanish, and are also great for one on one sharing.

Lindsay Foster : Even a non-native speaker of Spanish could enjoy this lovely collection of traditional Spanish nursery rhymes. Paired with the Spanish, the English "poetic recreations" offer a unique perspective on the native oral traditions of the Hispanic culture. The soft illustrations are enticing to young and old eyes. When read aloud, the Spanish poems are gently soothing and pleasing to the ear. The twenty-nine different selections express a variety of childhood activities from finger play type games to star-gazing to animal observations.

Early Childhood Literature Review : Summary: The collection of 29 nursery rhymes as presented in this bilingual book will please the young as they listen and sing rhymes that cover many subjects, including animals, children, and home. The authors stated that some of the rhymes and songs came from Spain to America. They selected some of their childhood favorites to include in this book. The watercolor illustrations are very colorful and will appeal to young and old. Comments: The children will enjoy hearing the poems read in Spanish and in English. Children will see their culture and traditions presented in a warm and positive manner. If you do not speak both languages, the children will be pleased to have a mom or volunteer read to them in the second language. This book is appropriate and recommend for the classroom. It is appropriate for toddlers to adults. Alma Flor Ada : Thanks for the gentle review of our book Pio Peep! We indeed enjoyed very much making these beloved nursery rhymes accessible to children in the United States both in English and Spanish. The warm reception the book has had, and its several reprints, tell us that indeed they are being enjoyed. To pass on creations that have been alive for centuries is very satisfactory, a way of acknowledging what we received and an expression of gratitude for the enjoyment that language can provide. MAMA GOOSE is another treasury of oral folklore in both languages that was fun to put together. The recently published MERRY NAVIDAD collects Christmas carols organizing them along the various moments related to these cultural festivities. My daughter Rosalma Zubizarreta was able to create English versions that still allow to be sang. Congratulations to the professor who has created this blog and to the students who are writing the reviews. A useful service for all of us who love children's books. With appreciation, in friendship, Alma Flor Ada

Great bilingual book and CD. The CD had great music on it in both Spanish and English. Great way to introduce traditional Spanish poems and music to your young. Wonderful bilingual book.

This book is beautifully illustrated and the little rhymes are wonderful. I have read this book to various ages and it's always a bit hit.

Our baby isn't born yet, but we've started reading to him already. This book has short, fun rhymes in both English and Spanish. We haven't used the CD yet, but I like this book so much that I've purchased it as gifts for several friends also expecting who want their kids to grow up bilingual.

Listen to a sample song from Pio Peep's 29 songs by clicking on the highlighted titles below.

29-Song Blue Pio Peep Full CD
A la rueda rueda
Cinco lobitos
Tortillitas para mamá
Aserrín, aserrán
De colores
El patio de mi casa
Caballito blanco
Arroz con leche
Los elefantes
El barquito
Tengo una muńeca
A la vibora de la mar
La pińata
Cuú
A dormir va la rosa
Pajarito que cantas
Duérmete, mi nińa
Bread and Cinnamon
Five Little Wolf Cubs
Tortillas for Mommy
Seesaw, Seesaw
Many Colors
In My Backyard
Rice Pudding
My Little Doll
The Pińata
Ribbitt
Little Bird Singing
Sleep Now, My Baby

16-Song Red Pio Peep Partial CD
A la rueda rueda
Cinco lobitos
Tortillitas para mamá
De colores
Arroz con leche
Cuú
Pajarito que cantas
Duérmete, mi nińa
Bread and Cinnamon
Five Little Wolf Cubs
Tortillas for Mommy
Many Colors
Rice Pudding
Ribbitt
Little Bird Singing
Sleep Now, My Baby