Fiesta

From Publishers Weekly Here's a counting and vocabulary book that, in a refreshing twist, teaches in English and Spanish. In a south-of-the-border setting, a group of children make their way around a village gathering items for a party ("fiesta"). From "Una canasta/ One basket" to "Cinco trompos/ Five tops" and "Diez serpentinas/ Ten streamers," the correct number of objects can be counted in each picture, while the text on the facing page asks, "?Que mas?/ What else?" The familiar, limited number of items?and vocabulary words?makes it all the more likely that children will absorb the language and counting lessons, although the absence of a pronunciation guide may hamper some would-be polyglots. Moreno's (The Pocket Book) pastel, watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations afford an idyllic, soft-lensed view of frolicking children, kindly merchants and such atmospheric elements as mariachis and an open-air market. The pictures also add a story to the counting/vocabulary class: all the objects go into the creation of a pi?ata, which explodes ("!Pau!/ Crack!") in a jubilant party scene at the end. !Ole! Ages 5-up. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the