English & Spanish
All ages
Bilingual Books
Literacy
Family
Rhyme
Traditions
Jean Ciborowski Fahey & Simone Shin
summary
What better to celebrate National Book Lovers Day than a story that is all about instilling a love of reading? Te Haré Propio Libreo/I’ll Build You a Bookcase released in April, and I think it’s the most adorable baby gift! This sweet rhyming story doesn’t follow a particular family in general, but it’s an ode to all people that wish to impart a love of reading onto the children in their life. It’s fully bilingual in Spanish and English and encourages readers to read for themselves, and also build bookcases for others as well!
Reading together is a special time to spend with someone, and having that habit built into your schedule creates beautiful traditions to look back on years later. There is a narrative thread about all of the bookcases we can build as readers grow older, and how we should ensure everyone gets a quality literacy education.
I love Simone Shin’s art style, and the range of places depicted that everyone can read. Little Library at the zoo? Yes please! How about the laundromat? The perfect place for one. If folks are already dragging loads of dirty clothes there, how many are also bringing books for their little ones? That sounds like a huge pain to me, personally. Having a library in the corner could be an amazing community resource! In the back of the book is also a list of reading tips, also fully bilingual. This book is adorable, and will definitely be a future gift for friends that are expecting children!
This book was kindly sent by Lee and Low, but all opinions are my own.
Jean Ciborowski Fahey
Jean Ciborowski Fahey is an author, parent educator, and speaker dedicated to promoting an early love of reading in children. She also consults for a variety of literacy initiatives and organizations and creates home literacy curriculum for parent-home visitors and early intervention specialists. She lives in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts with her husband, Tom, and dog, Indigo.
Simone Shin
Simone Shin is an award-winning illustrator and a graduate of Boston University and the Art Center College of Design. She began working as a freelancer illustrating for magazines and newspapers, and teaching children in the arts, eventually venturing into children’s book illustration. Her inspiration comes from her highly active preschool-aged son, as well as her strong interests in music, nature and family history. In her spare time she likes to create things with fabric and cardboard for fun — game boards, telephones, record players, violins, dollhouses, just about anything she can think of! After residing for many years in the Los Angeles area, Simone currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works at home illustrating children’s books all day and all night.