Marta! Big & Small - by Jen Arena (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

With simple Spanish and a glossary at the end, this fun read-aloud picture book, Marta! Big and Small, teaches little ones to identify opposites and animals and learn new words.

Marta is una niña, an ordinary girl . . . with some extraordinary animal friends!

As Marta explores the jungle, she knows she's bigger than a bug, smaller than an elephant, and faster than a turtle. But then she meets the snake, who thinks Marta is sabrosa--tasty, very tasty! But Marta is ingeniosa, a very clever girl, and she outsmarts the snake with hilarious results.

A School Library Journal Top 10 Latinx Book 2016

Review Quotes

"A cross between a concept book and a word book, this is a fun read-aloud to use anytime or in a bilingual storytime program." --School Library Journal

"With repetitive text and child-friendly illustrations, this wonderful read-aloud invites the younger set to experience the tension, relief, and satisfaction of a great plot." --School Library Journal, Top 10 Latinx 2016

"Arena's clever, catchy text might invite some play-acting games, and the lively energy of her
informative words is well matched by Dominguez' friendly, dynamic creatures in an earth-toned palette. This handy introduction to Spanish vocabulary is perfect for animal-lovers of all stripes." --Booklist

"Pura Belpré honoree Dominguez's green, brown, and tan illustrations capture the movement in each spread . . . Marta's adventure is an enjoyable way to introduce animals, observe concepts, and identify comparisons and polarities in English and en Español." --Kirkus Reviews

"Arena and Dominguez nimbly combine an exploration of relativity with an introduction to Spanish vocabulary." --Publisher's Weekly

"An ideal choice for bilingual storytimes." --The Bulletin

About the Author

Jen Arena is a former editorial director at Random House Books for Young Readers. She now writes books for children full-time, including 100 Snowmen, a wintry counting story, and Besos for Baby, a bilingual board book of kisses. Her books have been translated into French, Korean, Arabic, and, of course, Spanish.

Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City, grew up in Texas, and lived in San Francisco. She's the author and illustrator of picture books such as Let's Go, Hugo!; Santiago Stays; Knit Together; and Maria Had a Little Llama, an American Library Association Pura Belpré Illustration Honor book. She now writes and creates in her studio in Brooklyn, New York.