MANDY AND ANDY Children's Books Twin books encourage bilingual learning
"Do thunderstorms scare you so much you hide under your bed? Mandy feels the same in Hate That Thunder! This fun story, written in rhyme shows how Mandy is so scared of the thunderstorm it makes her hold her breath! Then she realizes, when it thunders, it rains and rain is a good thing. Bold and colorful illustrations make this story fun to read. This book would be a delightful addition to any child’s library! Flip the book around and read it in Spanish too!"
“Hate that Thunder!/Odio Ese Trueno” is a delightful children’s book about a little girl coming to terms with her fear of thunder. The book is written by author, William J. Adams, in the little girl’s (Mandy’s) viewpoint in a catchy rhyming text and is accompanied with cute, colorful, lively illustrations by Tom Stiglich, who brings to life in all the varying emotional expressions associated with Mandy’s fears, discoveries, and her road to dealing with this common child’s fear. The text is well written and concise, the presentations of the text and cartoon drawings are crisp, and the message is clear. It is a book that young children are sure to love. This is the first in a series of “Mandy and Andy” books. Having seen this one, I look forward to seeing more of these cute, full of life and fun, well-produced books. I’m sure this series will be very successful, and will provide reading pleasure to its many youthful readers and listeners alike for years to come Book reads in English in one direction and flip the book over to read in Spanish."
- Mitchell Waldman, for Scribes World (author of “Face In The Moon”)
"Goin’ To The Zoo / Vamos Al Zoologico"
Talking to the Animals—Bilingually!,
Reviewed by M. Allen Greenbaum (California)
Kids who want to improve their English or Spanish—or who just love animals—will enjoy this colorful bilingual romp through the zoo with young guides Mandy and Andy. However, it’s a far cry from a conventional language text: The story and pictures will appeal to animal lovers conversant in any language. Tom Stiglich’s bright, color-soaked illustrations are a visual treat featuring saturated hues and unexpected color combinations (for example, a golden brown owls against a purple night time sky; the shadowed light blue faces of Mandy and Andy as they look through a glass enclosure at snakes and lizards). Stiglich draws big eyes on his faces; this makes it easy to discern the "emotions" of the reptiles, birds, lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), monkeys, seals, peacocks, and other zoo citizens depicted here. He makes the zoo an inviting, friendly place...even the polar bear resembles a friendly mouse more than the mighty ruler of the North Pole. Author William Adams keeps the zoo tour lively and uncluttered, foucsing on one animal enclosure at a time. "Books Kids Can Flip Over." Adams’ slogan is not only a clever pun, but the key to reading the book biligually. Start with either the Spanish or English versions, read to the middle, and then close the book and flip it over (from top to bottom, not from side to side). Now you can read the book in the other language!
Here’s an example of the bilingual animal fun: "Owls and bats mostly come out at night, The peacocks and flamingos, Are such a beautiful sight..." Close the book,flip the top towards yourself, and you’re looking at the Spanish version.
"Hate That Thunder!/Odio Ese Trueno" captures the essence of a common childhood fear. Nighttime storms can be frightening, but the characters Mandy and Andy (who are twins) walk the reader through a poetic understanding of the situation. It is the poetry, which flows easily, making the experience enjoyable for both adult and child."
- Donna Allen, Publisher, Times Publishing Newspapers, Inc.