Margaret and Margarita / Margarita y Margaret

by Lynn Reiser

Margaret, who speaks English, and Margarita, who speaks Spanish, meet on a trip to... read more

Margaret, who speaks English, and Margarita, who speaks Spanish, meet on a trip to the park with their mothers. The language barrier immediately distances the adults (Margaret's mother buries her nose in a book while Margarita's mother concentrates on her knitting), but the two little girls, who at first peer shyly at one another from behind their mother's skirts, soon are chattering away. The openness of young children is warmly depicted in this simple bilingual text. Each mother/daughter pair speaks the same or similar phrases in their own language on facing pages as Margaret and Margarita experience the joy of newfound friendship. The English words are in blue, and the Spanish words are in red. By the end of the book, most of the dialogue is red and blue intermingled as the children excitedly speak a mix of both languages. Whimsical watercolor illustrations add to the celebratory tone. (Ages 3-6)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1993

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