Bye Land, Bye Sea - by René Spencer & Rodolfo Montalvo (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Two children from different backgrounds show that friendship has no language in this epic bilingual story about being lost and finding a friend who understands.

I'm lost.

Soy naufrago.

A boy and a girl lost at sea run into each other on an island, but they quickly realize there is a huge barrier between them. They speak two different languages. Hesitant and unsure, they must figure out how to connect despite their differences, if they want to find a way home.

Dynamic picture book creators René Spencer and Rodolfo Montalvo join forces in this powerful picture book about connection and the perseverance of friendship.

Review Quotes

Three starred reviews
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Colorado CLEL Bell Award

★ "A radiant tale of adventure and friendship." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Text and artwork together create a sense of an adventurous dream, making this a perfect fit for a bedtime story or lapsit." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB), starred review

★ "Simple, meaningful text alternates between Spanish and English, exposing readers to both languages, without translations." -- Horn Book Magazine, starred review

About the Author

As a kid, René Spencer developed a love for nature, art, travel, and foreign languages. She grew up speaking English at home and learned French in school before living and studying in Paris, France. When she is not busy working on picture books, you may find her watching movies from distant lands, reading, hiking, or taking care of bees.

Rodolfo Montalvo is an illustrator/writer who grew up in Southern California speaking mostly Spanish at home and English at school. Today, whether on land, at sea, or in the air, Rodolfo is always working on a story, a drawing, a painting, or some kind of art project. He is the illustrator of the popular picture book Dear Dragon, written by Josh Funk.

Though René and Rodolfo came from different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, the two found each other in an art class. They live in the Los Angeles area on a small patch of land, near the sea, and are always speaking in some combination of English, French, and Spanish. Bye Land, Bye Sea is their first picture book together.