This is one of our favourite books. A humorous look at a new addition to the family. This was the perfect story for our two children when #3 child arrived, the humour takes away some of the stress and expectation for young children when a new baby is joining the family. Also a great gift.

My son loves all the Robert Munsch books. He knows exactly what makes kids laugh and this book is an excellent example of this.

This is my fifth year with the elementary school, yet it is my first year in the library. The first book that I read to the children was 'Aligator Baby'. I believe what the children love the most about this book is that there is never a dull moment! All the children participate in what is going to happen next, and they enjoy finishing the sentences. This tells me that the children are focused, and they want me to read it over and over! It is fun to act out the parts as I read to the classes. (1st grade to 3rd grade.) I really do need more books like this one for the chidren. One of the specials that I have with the children is that each child can share a "favorite page" from a book they borrowed. The students always have something good to say about 'Aligatory Baby'. Thanks

I've enjoyed the American Girls Collection books for years, and was thrilled to see that Josefina's books from the American Girls Series were printed in Spanish as well as English. Jose Moreno does an excellent job translating Josefina's books into Spanish--the story stays the same as if you were reading the original English version--nothing is lost. This book, like the English one, tells the story of how Josefina's family copes with the death of Josefina's mother, and how Tia Dolores comes to stay with them. Even more funny is the story of Tia Dolores's piano, which sounds even more funny in the Spanish version than it does in English. I hope that one day the rest of the books in the American Girls series--the adventures of Felicity, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Kit, and Molly--will one day be available in Spanish as well.

Candace

This book offers a straightforward assessment of political principles as they are, not as they should be. It is to-the point, informative, and often startling in its conclusions. It is a quick read, and one i would definitely reccommend for anyone interested in the nature of politics and its role in shaping our world and our lives.

I'd write this review in Spanish, but my computer won't use the accents and such. So here it is, in English. I liked this book in Spanish--it was very well written. It follows a similar plot to the English version, where Josefina and her sisters are not sure about what to do this Christmas because their mama died not long ago. They are just getting into the holiday spirit when Josefina and her sisters discover that the altar cloth that their mama made has been destroyed because of the flood. Josefina is determined to find Nina, the doll her mother made to be passed down from sister to sister. Josefina and her sisters end up enjoying Christmas--I'll not give away the ending. The book was even better to read in Spanish, where the traditions and songs seem to make more sense than they do in the English version. Jose Moreno doesn't lose any of the story that was written by Valerie Tripp, the book is a good, recommended read in both languages!

"Cambios para Josefina" is just as good as it's English counterpart. Josefina and her sisters are planning a fandango. It'll be the first time Josefina plays the piano during a fandango, and she's looking forward to it. While she plays the song, Josefina's father asks Tia Dolores to dance. The next day, Tia Dolores announces that she wants to leave the rancho and go to Santa Fe to live with her parents. Josefina and her sisters are determined to find a way to get Tia Dolores to stay. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the American Girls Collection and can read Josefina's stories in Spanish as well.

As a 1st-2nd grade bilingual teacher, I find the pictures in this book very captivating for young children. The translation to Spanish by José Moreno is excellent. However, some of the vocabulary words might be a little difficult for even some fluent Spanish speaking 2nd graders to read. I think this would be a good book to read to small children out loud or for 3rd graders to read on their own.

The fact that penguins live in the Antartic region and that other migrating birds travel in this story would fit in well with a geography lesson or theme.

There are also two ideas that young children could reflect upon from Pedro's experiences. They are 1) trying to learn new things even if you aren't successful at them, and 2) learning how to be a good loser.

This book is by far better than its English counterpart, as is the case with all the Josefina books. The Spanish one tells a story similar to the English one: Josefina's birthday is coming up, the blanket weaving on the rancho is doing good, Josefina adopts Sombrita ("Little shadow") as a pet, and meets longtime friend Mariana as well. Josefina hopes to become a curandera some day like her godmother Tia Magdalena, until Josefina does somthing that makes her loose hope. It isn't until Josefina is "tested" that she gains that hope back. I recommend both versions of the book--the English and the Spanish--as both are very good and very well written.

Like most Marcus Pfister books it uses the "shiny" gimmick for its main character. Although the translation is well done, the reading level in Spanish is done for children older than the 4-8 age group it is supposedly directed at. Children who love dinosaurs will enjoy this book, but there are a few dinosaur names that change spelling, and a couple "fake" dinosaur names that will annoy purists.