Twice as Many Friends by Brian Amador is a colorful and exciting picture book paired with a catchy song celebrating the beautiful friendships and community that one is able to build in exploring other languages.
In this book, we see through vibrant illustrations the narrator and their family traveling somewhere with a primarily Spanish-speaking community. The narrator and their family are able to connect with the locals, take part in the fun, and create special friendships and experiences just by learning some simple Spanish phrases. Some of these phrases include: ¿Cómo te llamas? (What’s your name?) or ¿Quieres jugar? (Do you want to play?). These phrases are easy to remember when singing along to the accompanying melody. These phrases are rhymed and repeated throughout to allow the audience to become familiar with the new language.
The book includes eye-catching graphics by Vanina Starkoff, translations for the phrases used, and directions to an animated video containing the Twice as Many Friends song performed by Amador’s music group, Sol Y Canto. With this quick read, a reader is able to discover the joy and knowledge that comes from the exploration and learning of a new language.
(Ages 3-7)
