Review by Booklist Review
This quirky reworking of Old MacDonald Had a Farm is more than just a Spanish translation it is the tale of two farmers whose animals are clearly in charge. Senor Pancho and Old MacDonald are neighbors who live similar lives but for the fact that their animals speak different languages. Very little farming actually happens. Instead, dogs / perros bark woof woof and guau guau, sheep / ovejas take singing lessons from cows / vacas, while chicks / pollitos beat drums or shake maracas. Smith's scraggly pen-and-watercolor art adds to the farm-fiesta frenzy, and young readers will appreciate the joyous, goofy expressions on the animals' faces. Despite some obvious stereotypes, this humorous rendition of the song should be part of any library where singing is allowed. Each left-hand page features the English verse, while the right-hand page features Pancho's Spanish counterpart. It ends, however, in a cacophony even the two farmers cannot resist: ¡Vamos a bailar!--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-I usually shy away from English song translations, but this bilingual (or Spanglish) version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" is such a riotous one, it is hard to resist. More than a literal translation, it is two stories taking place side by side, one on the left-hand page, the other on the right. Bit by bit, the two sides-Old MacDonald's farm and Señor Pancho's rancho-interact, ending in a cacophony of animal sounds. Even though the images are not that easy to see in a group read-aloud setting, children will still catch on to the silliness taking place and will love singing the catchy "cha, cha, cha, cha, cha" chorus. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Old MacDonald has a farm; Seqor Pancho has a rancho. You'll hear "cock-a-doodle-doo" and "peep" on the farm; Pancho's gallo says "quiquiriqum" and his pollito says "pmo." But when the cow and una vaca get together: "Here a moo, there a muu. / Everywhere a moo muu." The energetic illustrations are a good match for the lively reworked lyrics, which include Spanish words and animal sounds. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Colato Lanez (The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratn Prez, 2010) presents a bicultural rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," one of the most widely known and loved children's songs. This book introduces readers to the various animals on two separate farms. On the first page of each spread is Old MacDonald and a traditional verse of the song in English. The next page presents Seor Pancho, whose rancho is also filled with animals whose Spanish names and sounds are blended into the English text. The opening pages prepare readers who may not be familiar with Spanish by providing a glossary of terms and a pronunciation guide to the Spanish sounds. Finally, the animals from the two farms meet, and everyone joins in dancing and singing, mixing all of the sounds and names together. The lively illustrations are imbued with movement and humor, significantly contributing to the overall joy of the book. Subtle nuances, such as in landscape and textile patterns, are used to distinguish Old MacDonald and Seor Pancho. For some readers, the repetition of each verse might lack sufficient action to keep them engaged. Others, however, will enjoy learning the names of the animals in both English and Spanish and comparing the onomatopoeia in each language. Chock-full of bicultural fun on the farm. (glossary, pronunciation guide, author's note) (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
