School Library Journal Review
PreS-K--Pollo is a small white chicken who just likes to play. And play, and play, and play--all day! The reader is invited to come along "con (with) Pollo," in both English and Spanish. Unlike many bilingual titles, which offer word-for-word translation of the English text in Spanish, Fallon and Lopez take a more creative approach. A series of questions are asked in English and reiterated in Spanglish. "Do you want to go to the beach? OR Go to la playa con pollo? Do you want to go skateboarding? OR Patinar con Pollo?" It's a busy day for Pollo, going to school, to the library, the toy store, building, flying, and looking at the stars. Young readers will want to engage. Simple, bold, colorful illustrations, reminiscent in style of Peep and the Big Wide World, are perfectly suited to grab and hold the attention of the intended audience. An illustrated glossary of translated words in the back matter serves as extra scaffolding for the language learning in the story and will assist non-Spanish-speaking adults with pronunciation. VERDICT A fun way to introduce Spanish vocabulary to young readers, with a character and formula that are worthy of additional titles. An excellent purchase for bilingual and general picture book collections.--Jennifer Noonan
Publisher's Weekly Review
With assistance from Pollo ("rhymes with Fro-Yo"), television host Fallon and entertainer Lopez take readers on a bilingual jaunt through English and Spanish terms: a total of 10 verbs and nouns representing activities and places. Rendered by debut artist Campos in simple line art highlighted with sunny hues, Pollo is a small, egg-shaped chicken with a bright red comb, a tiny yellow beak, and inexhaustible energy. In a series of spreads, the creators proffer an invitation on the verso, followed by an "OR" that pushes readers to the recto, where it's made clear that life is much more fun con Pollo. "Do you want to go the beach?" reads one spread, showing a lonely pail and shovel stuck in the sand, or "Go to la playa con Pollo?" as the fowl confidently surfs a gnarly wave. Following a range of activities, even Pollo is ready to hit the hay--but a new addition is eager to join for a re-read in a book highlighting "so many things to do/ that you don't have to alone." It's a balance of pedagogy and pure visual fun, smartly gauged for budding curiosities and short attention spans. English-to-Spanish translations, with pronunciations, conclude. Ages 2--5. (Oct.)
