Los loros (Parrots)
From the Set Spot Rainforest Animals (Animales de la selva tropical)
Parrots--brightly colored birds that can actually talk. Developing readers learn about these exotic rainforest birds in this low-level Spanish search-and-find beginning reader. A large bird flies overhead, its brightly colored feathers a stark contrast to the rainforest vegetation. It gives a loud squawk as it lands, using its talons to hook onto the side of a tree. Early readers will discover key characteristics of parrots.
A search-and-find feature reinforces new vocabulary like beak and flock, while close-up images of parrots in their natural rainforest habitat captivate young audiences. A great early STEM book to inspire learning about life science for kindergartners and first graders.
SLJ Review of Spot Rainforest Animals (Animales de la selva tropical)
This companion to the “Spot Nature” series by the same publisher follows an identical format. Brief volumes open with a challenge to students to locate four pictures and their corresponding words. In this series, students are asked to find an animal’s body part or something notable about its habitat or lifestyle. Hints and visual clues guide readers to find the objects, with plenty of opportunities for review. Most feature simple sentences, including an exclamatory sentence to stimulate dramatic interest, e.g., “Wow. That snake is huge!” (Anacondas). The text includes common sight words and short- and long-vowel sounds. The series covers a broad range of rainforest creatures, whose habits, habitats, body parts, and lifestyles are explored and explained. The remarkable color photos, whose focus is frequently on the creatures’ habits and lifestyles, are sure to captivate students. VERDICT Recommended for schools and public libraries to promote STEM learning for young students. Hand to animal lovers who’ll learn a lot about some favorite creatures, and meet some new ones, too.