Translated Books in the Bilingual Home
I love being able to share translations of my childhood favorites with my kids. Unfortunately. not all books translate well, and not all books are well-translated. Some stories translate well, but if you're looking to teach your kid to read, or have rhyme or teach the alphabet, you'll have to look for books written in your child's first language. I've included Amazon links for many of the books in case you're ready to buy some of these books for yourself.
Some of my favorite translated books are:
El Viaje de Jenny
Here is a story of girl who undertakes a long journey to visit her friend who misses her. This book helped me learn the names of different types of boats and other ocean related words in Spanish, and it's a favorite with my 2 and 4 year old as well.
Diez, Nueve, Ocho
Short and simple, this very sweet book counts backwards as a father helps his little girls get ready for bed. Great for bidding very young children good night, and easy to memorize and recite once lights are out.
Roxaboxen
This book captures the magic of children with vivid imaginations and hours of play. It reminds me of my childhood in Arizona, and I am thrilled to be able to share it with my own children in Spanish as well as in English. I must admit that at this stage, I like this book more than my children do.
Te Quiero, Yo Te Quiero
Ve, Perro Ve.
¿Eres mi mamá?
Non Favorite Translated Books: Dr. Seuss's books are humorous stories which use easy to read words, nonsense words and rhyme. Reading about a cat juggling a rake and a teapot and a fish and a boat becomes a lot less fun when these words no longer rhyme and are no longer easy to read! At least one book was later re-translated, by Teresa Mlawer, and she did a much better job. The Jesus Storybook Bible. I love this book in English, but the translation is in many places embarrassingly bad!
Pet Peeves
Some of the translated books are not properly translated. Phrases like, "Oh, dear!" and "Would you mind?" sound silly when they are translated literally instead of finding functional equivalents.
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