Malty the Blue Tiger (Marita la tigresita azul) - by K Kloss (Paperback)

About the Book

"Malty, a blue tiger who goes on a journey to make new friends -- only to be criticized for the sound of her roar along the way. Yearning to fit in, she attempts to mimic every character she meets: yellow birds, purple monkeys, and even a red truck. It is only when she is lost and alone that she discovers her true sound, and her true identity, are what will help her reach her destination."--

Book Synopsis

Malty the Blue Tiger tells the story of a little tiger who goes on a journey to a beautiful, diverse place called Biscuit Brook, only to be criticized for the sound of her roar along the way. She yearns to make friends (we've all been there, especially as youngsters!), so throughout her journey, she attempts to mimic every character she meets--yellow birds, purple monkeys, and even a red truck. It is only when she is lost and alone that she discovers her true sound, and her true identity, is the only thing that can help her reach her destination.

Your child will giggle wildly as Malty tries to "Chirp!" like a bird or "Honk!" like a truck, but they won't just be amused by the giggle-worthy story. They'll learn new English and Spanish words, while observing the beauty of diversity and their special role in it.

Inside, you'll find: ​

• Text in both English and Spanish, with new vocabulary words bolded and color-coded for comparison

• A rhyming story that stresses the importance of diversity

• Repeated words and phrases

• A review section of "Words I Learned Today," with photos to help your child learn and review vocabulary

• A "Did You Know?" informational section about blue tigers

• Beautiful artwork that illustrates the vocabulary words in the text.

Review Quotes

"My two-year-old daughter was immediately attracted to this book and enjoyed the story, asking for repeated readings. I loved all of the great opportunities for discussion it provided. We talked about how the fox's harsh words made Malty feel sad, how it is wrong for Malty to lie to the animals and try to be something she is not, and how important it is to stay true to yourself and never give in to peer pressure. My daughter and five-year-old son then talked about the things we love about ourselves that we would never change. In addition to all of the great discussions this book prompted, it also helped my children practice their Spanish skills! We are slowly attempting to introduce Spanish words to them and with a Spanish translation appearing next to the English text and the glossary in the back, this book makes it easy and fun to add to their vocabulary." - Library Mom, children's book reviewer

"Written in both English and Spanish, this illustrated book, aimed at young children, tells a story that teaches the importance of celebrating both one's unique, individual characteristics, as well as the diversity of others - all while exposing children to two languages. I believe that even in our era of increasingly-accurate automated translation tools, America would benefit from focusing more attention on introducing foreign languages to our children at a young age - as the cognitive benefits of doing so extend way beyond language skills." - Joseph Steinberg, recognized cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur, former columnist of Forbes and Inc.

"As a teacher, especially in Southern California, it is highly important to me to promote bilingualism and use native language as an asset to support and access new language... This book not only teaches vocabulary in a new language, but also imparts a message of self-confidence and the value of being unique." - Maya Espiritu, Kindergarten teacher

"My kids were over the moon for this new book. I had a Spanish-speaking student this year that had so much fun teaching his classmates how to read words in his first language." - Sarah Gardner, 1st grade teacher

"I can't say enough good things about this book! You MUST have it in your classroom!" - Hillary Kiser, 3rd grade teacher