The Shark That Taught Me English/ El tiburon que me enseno ingles (Spanish and English Edition) - Hardcover

Grade 1–2—In her new school in America, Sofía wants to be treated like the other kids, but her limited English alienates and frustrates her. Plus, all she can think about is her old life in Mexico and her father who is still there. One day her teacher attaches to the chalkboard a huge outline of a great white shark, which simultaneously mesmerizes and intimidates her. But her teacher assures her, "Don't be afraid of the shark.... It's going to teach you English." Sofía thinks her teacher must be loca until, amazingly, through Sofía's fascination with this tiburón, English words start finding their way off her tongue. Neither sharks nor learning English turns out to be as scary as she imagined. Cartoon paintings with pencil outlines feature characters with naively rendered mouths that clearly express Sofía's emotional journey—a smudgy arch is a frown, and a plain zipper line displays the child's apprehension. Neither the text nor the illustrations are particularly noteworthy. Still, this encouraging story might appeal to young people who have had to learn English as a second language.—Madeline Walton-Hadlock, San Jose Public Library, CA
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