Lejos Far

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Herrera follows a little boy on a walk, beautifully illustrated by Gomez, where he observes things at a distance. This bilingual board book is written in short verse, both in English and simple, eloquent Spanish, ideal for anyone stepping into the language. He begins at the lemon tree growing far from his home, which, in turn, is far from the city. This pattern continues as he walks with his father through the city to the ocean, where they espy the distant mountains. From their slopes, the boy sits comfortably on his father's shoulders, noting the clouds high above and higher still the sun, which shines upon the boy as he sits once again under his lemon tree. A serene, effective concept book for little learners.--Rosie Camargo Copyright 2010 Booklist

This bilingual board book builds language skills while introducing readers to concepts of spatial awareness. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Herrera engages with the idea of distance in simple, elegant sentences in both Spanish and English as Gómez's restrained digital illustrations suitably mimic the text: "El árbol de limones está lejos de mi casa./ The lemon tree is far from my house." As the end phrase of one spread becomes the starting phrase of the next ("Mi casa está lejos de la ciudad./ My house is far from the city"), a brown-skinned tot, sometimes walking with an adult, visits a variety of places until the sentences move skyward, leading the child to reflect, home again, that "El sol brilla sobre mí/ The sun shines over me." Slow page turns encourage pondering everything, near and far, under the sun. Ages 2--5. (Sept.)