Don Quixote: A BabyLit® Spanish Language Primer

BabyLit® Primers

by Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver (Illustrator)

BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s Alison Oliver, these books are a must for every savvy parent’s nursery library.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Spanish Literature, Literature, Retellings, Classics, Kids

22 pages, Board book

First published February 15, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Jennifer Adams is the author of more than forty books. Her bestselling BabyLit board books (published by Gibbs Smith) introduce small children to the world of classic literature and have sold 1.5 million copies. She is the author of another series of board books, My Little Cities.

Jennifer’s picture books for children, Edgar Gets Ready for Bed, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart and Edgar and the Tree House of Usher are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” She also has two new picture books forthcoming from HarperCollins.

Her titles also include books for adults, including Y is for Yorick, a slightly irreverent look at Shakespeare, and Remarkably Jane, notable quotations on Jane Austen.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Washington. She has 20 years’ experience as a book editor, including at Gibbs Smith and Quirk Books. She currently works as a consulting editor for Sounds True, developing their children’s line. Jennifer works some evenings at her local independent bookstore, The King’s English, to feed her book habit. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer.

(bio from author's website)

Reviews

[Vonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no interest in having children at this time, but want this entire series. Adorable illustrations, very educational, and fun to peruse every once in awhile. better yet, each book is a little different. For example one might be counting, one might be colors. But all are in direct reference to classic literature. Don Quixote being my favorite book of all time if I had to choose, I can't help but love this.

Opposing panels in each two page spread give a word and a corresponding image. One in English, the other Spanish. everything is translated. including little talk bubbles. ("neigh" is "relincho" in Spanish).

Love it!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute, fun starter book for teaching little children a few Spanish words. Words like: man, lady, friend, goat, windmills. Each word is depicted with a picture. Each picture is slightly different when portrayed in English or Spanish. So both English and Spanish speakers can read this book. On the back cover is the pronunciations for both the English and Spanish versions.

[María Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta colección me encanta, las ilustraciones son muy bonitas y la mayoría de palabras escogidas suelen ser palabras clave del libro original. Algunos de los libros se centran en contar o en enseñar colores o las partes del cuerpo y este en concreto es un libro bilingüe en inglés y español.

El libro, como digo, está muy bien y lo compré para una niña pequeña que habla inglés y español, más por el chiste que por otra cosa. Lo que sí me gustaría decir es que hay algunas cositas mejorables, por si alguien tenía pensado regalárselo al hijo de un filólogo o algo. XD

El libro consiste en una serie de ilustraciones con la palabra en inglés en la página izquierda y en español en la derecha. La palabra en español tiene el artículo ("la armadura", "el caballo", etc.), que me parece muy bien si quieren ver el masculino y el femenino, pero creo que entonces tendrían que haber puesto en inglés "the armor" en vez de "armor", no sé, es que la imagen que da es que en inglés no tienen artículos o algo. 😂

También tiene una parte que es graciosa y pone "books/los libros" con alguno de los libros que inspiraron a Don Quijote a salir a la aventura. Que me parece gracioso, pero podían haber prestado un poco más de atención porque en uno pone "cabellerosidad" y en otro "el caballero de la espada ardiente" en vez de "el caballero de la ardiente espada". Que es una tontería, ya lo sé, pero como esto es más detalle para el adulto que para el niño creo que se podía haber cuidado más.

Hay también una parte que puede dar lugar a equívoco porque del caballo "inglés" sale un bocadillo que pone "neigh" (que puede ser la onomatopeya o el nombre/verbo del sonido que hace el caballo) y del bocadillo del caballo "español" sale "relincho. Con lo que vi en algunas reseñas de angloparlantes y teniendo en cuenta que del bocadillo de las cabras sale "baaa" y "beh beh" creo que desde fuera parece que cuando un caballo "español" abre la boca dice "¡relincho, relincho!". 😂

Hay otras cosas culturales que creo que son mejorables. La primera de todas es que en la parte de español también le llama Don Quixote en vez de Don Quijote y, no sé, yo creo que es mejor enseñarle a los niños la grafía del siglo XXI con la que se conoce el libro en España, para no liarlos más. El castillo es más como de Al Andalus en pleno esplendor que los castillos de la Mancha que yo asocio al Quijote y creo que la onomatopeya de dormir ("zzz") no la he visto nunca escrita en español como "sss". 🤔

Pero ya digo que el libro es un libro para niños y muy bonito, no nos vamos a poner con la lupa. Para los padres que no estén muy puestos en español o en inglés hay una lista en la contracubierta con ayuda fonética para que puedan defenderse, pero tampoco esperéis una transcripción fonética impecable en ninguna de las dos direcciones. 😆

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the illustrations capture the sly humor of the book very well. E thinks that this one tastes the best.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorable board book for the very young does everything right. It is part of the “BabyLit” series of literature-inspired books for toddlers and children.

Each page spread features a word in English on the left and Spanish on the right, along with adorable colorful illustrations by Alison Oliver. The words and pictures are suggested from the famous story of Don Quixote (fully titled The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha) by Cervantes. In that book, a member of the Spanish nobility reads so many tales of chivalry that he decides to become one of those heroic characters himself. He calls himself Don Quixote, and recruits a farmer, Sancho Panza, as his sidekick. The two travel the world pretending to be a knight and squire and go off to save the world.

Don Quixote is considered one of the greatest works of “classic” literature, and its characters and tropes have earned permanent places in Western culture. It has inspired other authors and artists as diverse as Gustave Flaubert, Mark Twain and Pablo Picasso. Unfortunately, it is known better for being one of those books nobody ever reads anymore than anything else. However, its cultural influences have endured, and many people know that the word “quixotic” refers to something that is ”exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical,” i.e., “tilting at windmills.” (In a famous scene in the book, Quixote jousts, or “tilts” at windmills, imagining them to be giants.) Or people may remember the song “The Impossible Dream” from the musical “The Man of La Mancha,” about quixotic quests.

Thus in this book, you will find the English and Spanish for “horse” and “windmills” and “castle” - in all, ten words. Pronunciations are given on the back of the board book.

Evaluation: Children will enjoy looking at the bright pictures and seeing the names for them in two different languages. It's a great way to introduce them to the concept of translation as well as to get them started on multilingualism. Parents might be inspired to read, or reread, Don Quixote.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute BabyLit board book that introduces some Spanish words along with characters and symbols from Don Quixote.

[Andrés · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aplausos to Adams for including a Spanish language primer in her series. And, gracias por the phoenitc pronunciation guides in English and Spanish on the back cover.I still struggle with the BabyLit series, though: please put a one-page summary of the classic literature at the end for the adult reader!

[Eliot Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice, colorful review of Spanish vocabulary words based on the classic Cervantes novel from 1600s Spain. Vocabulary words include: hombre, libros, armadura, caballo, dama, molinos de viento, amigo, castillo, cabra, cama.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adams Adventure #19
Baby Lit #15
Now that is a better Baby Lit book, showing words in Spanish and English, that also have a correlation with the big picture idea of the story of Don Quixote.
Clever and original.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very clever, but I'm not sure how many of these words would be very useful. Still, fun and teaches!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

English and Spanish. Good.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the story of Don Quixote per se, but an illustrated vocabulary primer for English/Spanish words related to the book.

[TJ & AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book. For some kids, this might be their first introduction to the idea that different groups of people speak different languages.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable! Great illustrations with interesting vocab.

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series, they are absolutely adorable! You won't be teaching your children anything about the actual book Don Quixote, but you will be teaching them some Spanish or English!

[Anna]

Very cute and they are using some Spanish around her, so a good choice.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutest little free library book that I could not resist bringing home to look at! Was not disappointed.

[Melissa Swistek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming illustrations and references to the infamous tale of Don Quixote de La Mancha. Hits the high points and teaches bilingual skills to toddlers. Love it!

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don Quixote: A BabyLit® Spanish Language Primer, Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver
"armor = la armadura"
[I had a spare hour and was in the library, so I looked at these cool little books]

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilingual English and Spanish, and only remotely related to Don Quixote, but adults will enjoy the references while kids will be able to learn a few terms in another language.

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this. It's a board book which introduces some of the key words in and around the story of Don Quixote, in both English and Spanish. Each spread deals with one particular moment 'castle / el castillo' and delivers a vibrant, chunky drawing underneath it which ties back into the word. The noises are translated as well: 'baaa' / 'beh beh' for the goat, and 'zzz' / 'sss' for the snoring in the 'bed/la cama' spread. On the back page of the book is a phonetic translation of the words in two columns: one for English speakers and another for Spanish. It's such a lovely glorious book with images that are chunky and thickly coloured and intensely evocative in their precise, clean nature.

One key thing to mention - and I grant that this is such a finicky note on a very good book, but it's something that is worth mentioning. I'd have welcomed a little more consciousness of the role of the gutter within the book. Some of the double page spreads are beautifully aware of their construction; the 'armor / la armardura' one for example sees both figures facing into the middle of the book, mirror images of one and another and thus they tie the language down very specifically to both images. Sometimes the colour notes on each one vary, yellow flowers instead of pink, a brown goat instead of a white one, but the construction of these images do not change. There is an inclusion about these spreads. You know that the 'goat' on one page is 'la cabra' on the other.

Other spreads such as the 'windmills / los molinos de viento' see two separate images without this mirror construction; 'windmills' has a bigger windmill to the left of it and then one smaller to the right, whilst 'los molinos de viento' has a smaller windmill to the left and a bigger one to the right, thereby matching the stylistics of the previous page, but not the mirror images of the other spreads.

It's a very finicky note in a rather lovely book but things like this matter within a language primer, particularly for this age. Are you telling the children that windmills are image a) or image b) ? (And particularly, with something potentially quite removed from a child's experience, are you asking them to link the word with the windmill or that windmill, the little one or the big one? And how are you asking them to engage with this page - where do you want your reader to be, even at this age, at this point in the text? How do you want them travelling over the page? Do you want them to start with one method and then shift to another or not? All questions that, I'm sure, are addressed as part of this lovely series, but they're all questions that strike me as being centred around issues of construction and concern for readership.

I mention all of this because this is a book very much on its way to being perfect. I love things like this that deconstruct classics and reconstruct them in accessible, fun and contemporary ways. I have never read Don Quixote. I've never had the inclination. But right now, I sort of do, and I think that's one of the massive powers of a book like this. It opens (and re-opens) doors into texts.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

For: lit fans; readers looking for a book introducing Spanish in an entertaining way (one page will have the word and sentence in English while the opposite side with have the Spanish translation).

Possible red flags: doesn't really follow the original work or give context to that story.

[NK92 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty bad art. In the future I will be choosing actual classic board books written in Spanish/bilingual with good art. More for parents than babies.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as a Goodreads giveaway.

I have LOVED the BabyLit series since it came out, and I made sure that my library has every copy of it. Now, I'm the proud owner of Don Quixote! I have to admit, my knowledge of the original text is limited to a painting by Pablo Picasso and pieces from Man of La Mancha, so I knew a few basics of the story, like Don Quixote is crazy and fights windmills that he believes to be giants. With this book, you don't have to have a deep knowledge of the original text, as it's geared towards babies (who wouldn't get the plot anyway). Adams took key elements and characters from the novel and gave both the English and the Spanish words for it. As a bonus, there is a pronunciation guide on the back for those of us who don't speak Spanish. The illustrations, as always, are well done and brightly colored - perfect for any toddler. I can already envision this being a well-loved book in my house.

As a side note, I also received a very nice note from the author, and she just seems like the nicest person. I really hope they continue with the BabyLit series, because it is seriously the best!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free via Goodreads First Reads giveaways**

Well, this is just adorable. I'm not a mom, but I am a aunt who loves to spoil her nephews and niece every chance I get, so I do enjoy children's books.
First, what an amazing way to introduce literature to kiddos, even in just this simple way.
Second, how awesome to also be introducing a few Spanish words. Yes, it's just a few vocab words, but nonetheless, what a wonderful way to spark interest.
Finally, this book is gorgeous. Apparently this is typical for this particular children's artists, but wow I'm just blown away. It's stylized yet adorable. The colors are bright and the details are captivating. I can't decide if I want to keep this sturdy board book at my house, or let the kiddos take it with them!!

[Jill Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cute, colorful book would be a great addition to any child's library. Even if they are too young to really start to learn much from the book, the bright colors and eye-catching drawings will pull them in, make them laugh and keep them interested. And this book is made tough enough to hang around for years, to be passed on to younger siblings or cousins. Very cute! (I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway)

[Authorscreateireview · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was contacted by Eric from Quicknote to review two BabyLit books, I was thrilled to. My kids really like the two that we have received in the past from Quick Note which were: Alice in Wonderland by Jennifer Adams and Jane Eyre by Jennifer Adams. I was excited to get the chance to review these two books for you as well.

Read More of my Review at:
Authors Create I Review

[Cc April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads Firstreads promotion.
This is an adorable board book for young children. But it goes way beyond your average baby words, It teaches them a few Spanish words, and introduces them to the story of Don Quixote at the same time. The illustrations are fantastic as well. What a clever way to start your child on the road to learning, reading and the classics!

[Lauren White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book free through goodreads first reads giveaway.

Very cute text for small children. Uses the basics of language to convey the classic story Don Quixote. Awesome that it is a Spanish one which allows children to experience bilingual texts young. Vivid and engaging pictures and type.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don Quixote is a Spanish language primer, which contains words in English and Spanish. The pages are opposite of each other in color, orientation, and language. For example, friend is el amigo and there is a picture of Sancho Panza and windmills are los molinos de viento. It's a clever book, but not a very useful one as most of the terms are too specific and advanced.