What is it like to bilingual? Well, the experiences can of course vary enormously but for a bilingual child it is a great feeling to know that she is not alone. Below are some books that can help bilingual children to understand that other children might feel and meet the same problems and experiences as they do. The books are also great for all children to gain insight into the wonderful world of languages.
Henry P. Baloney by Jon Scieszka
Henry P. Baloney may be from another planet but he is the perfect tale for bilingual children. The idea of a Permanent Lifelong Detention does not sound too great so Henry needs to come up with one very good excuse to explain why he is late for szkola, again. The out-of-this-world illustrations by Lane Smith capture the frustration that Henry feels perfectly. A book with an important message – you have to use your imagination to solve problems. It also captures that feeling when you are learning to read and every words looks like they had been written by an alien. Perfect book for exploring what it may feel like when you do not understand and how you can escape from tricky situations
Subway Sparrow by: Leyla Torres
Who will help the trapped sparrow? Four people come together despite language difference to rescue the sparrow who is trapped in a New York subway train. Explore different ways that people can communicate if they do not all speak the same language.
1000 times No by Tom Warburton
It’s time to leave says Noah’s mother, but Noah doesn’t want to. “No!” he shouts. But he does not stop there. He tells her no in Latin, Dutch, Japanese, Tagalog, even in Robot! I must admit that cartoon style illustrations are not always a favorite but this is book is pure delight. Hours of fun trying to learn how to say “No” in several language.
Also perfect for thinking about other ways that you can say “No”.
Like “No, I do not want to do it now but I can do it later”.
Or “Can we change the idea?” “What happens if we do this instead?” “Another way of picking up the socks from the floor would be to. . .”
1000 times no from david rasura on Vimeo.
Photo: “Holding Grapes” by Clare Bloomfield
