Uno, Dos, Tres / one, two, three

I loved the aztec inspired illustrations by barabara lavallee! The rounded faces and beautifully shadded clothes & objects are delightful. Two girls go through the mexican market and buy birthday gifts for their mama - counting in spanish & in english. One by one they guy 10 gifts - a ceramic sun, 2 doves, three bells, 4 pinata's, etc. It's a glorious celebration of the charm of pueblo markets. It's also great fun for you and your child to count along - uno dos tres, one two three, and at the back of the book there is a pronunciation guide. I think it's always a positive thing to challenge the little ones with new words, and this book will open up new avenues of understanding - we can count in other languages!

While the words and verse may be simple in this children's Spanish counting book, Pat Mora uses the sounds of the words to convey the senses of the Mexican market. Stars twink, twinkling, castanets click, clicks, bells ring, ringing. The vibrant colors and use of shading to create textures in the illustrations also reflects the wares of the Mexican Market.