I hear a buho by Raquel Mackay. Illus. by Armando Fonseca

Using Spanish words in amongst the story adds to the language experience a child gets reading this book. Some books offering a different language experience have two side by side texts, one in English, the other in the language being pursued, but this one is differently presented, giving an extra push for the brain to enjoy. Lines such as, ‘Ojos shut, rocking steady’ accompanies the page in which a child’s face with closed eyes is shown, prompting the child to see that ojos means eyes.  

‘Woof, woof, I hear a perro' prompts the child to see that something woofing must be a dog, so the meaning of the word, perro is discovered. 

The story goes on with the discovery of a gate, rana, patio and lobo, each time the child telling her mama that it is she donning a disguise. But at the end, they spy a buho, hooting as it flies, and that is definitely not the child. Readers will love working out all the ‘animales’ they can hear and see under the moon. 

The child is getting ready for bed, and the game of seeking out the animals is played before bedtime, until she goes to sleep, noting the sounds that they make. 

Children will love working out the names of the animals and getting around the Spanish words, using the dictionary at the back of the book along with the pronunciation guide to check what they mean and their use of the word. The handful of words offered in this story will stimulate children to seek out more.

The wonderful, vibrant illustrations drag the eye across each page, taking in the unusual style, the repeated motifs, the colours used, and the surprising amount of detail. I love the page depicting the face, as it blends into the night sky, the colourful earrings like the phase of the moons.  Lovely tale before bedtime, the Spanish words will roll about in their dreams. 

Themes: Spanish language, Bilingual text, Bedtime, Animals, Humour.

Fran Knight