Italian children's books - Ciao, cuccioli, Benny, Maisy & Babar!

Honestly, the world of blogging is very new to me. But I can already tell, after having written just one entry, that I am really going to love it. Blogging gives me the opportunity to really tell you about the products we carry at Magellan's Toy Shop. Not just a quick description, but really share with you what I like about (in this case) the books, why I believe in them enough to add them to our inventory, and why I think you will like them, too.

Maisy Dresses Up - Una festa per Pina
Maisy's Bedtime - Buonanotte, Pina
by Lucy Cousins

Whether you know her as Maisy, Mimi, or Pina you're sure to love this little mouse. Many kids will recognize her from the television show on Noggin and Nick Jr., or you may have Maisy books in English at your home. This familiarity is a simple way to get little ones interested in learning Italian.

The format of the Maisy books is really geared to its young audience. There are one to two simple sentences on a page with the corresponding picture on the facing page. The pictures are bright, bold, colorful,and not bogged down with a lot of unnecessary detail. This is great because the text truly does describe what is in the picture. The reader can then more easily direct the conversation and learning instead of following tangents about unrelated topics. Surely you've fallen into this trap, too.

Besides all of these great qualities what I think I like most about the Maisy books is the overall feeling of friendliness and comfort. Maisy and her friends are always smiling. If there's an obstacle they keep trying until a solution is found. These are the positive kinds of friends that I like my children to have - in a story or real life.

Benny Goes to the Beach - Benny va al mare

Another book that we really like is Benny va al mare, a board book by Nicoletta Costa. It is part of the Benny series which is extremely popular in Italy. In this one, Benny and his friends are going to the beach. Each uses a different mode of transportation to get there: a car, a truck, a train, and an airplane. The text is very simple and the pictures are sweet and brightly colored. Plus, a unique feature is that besides being a board book, there are also press out figures of the four main characters. These can be put into slots throughout the book to complete the pictures. Or let your little explorer use them for imaginative play - in any language.

Say Hello to the Baby Animals! - Ciao, cuccioli della giungla!
by Ian Whybrow and Ed Eaves

This book is so cute! I absolutely love the adorable illustrations. The colors are suited perfectly to the subject matter. And Leo the lion cub and each animal to whom he says hello have a soft, fuzzy texture. Little listeners will not be able to keep their hands off.

Then there is the story. It is predictable and therein lies its charm. Leo starts out in the morning to say hello to all his friends. Each animal friend has two lines of rhyming text before Leo says hello.

La piccola giraffa si è appena svegliata
e bruca le foglie ancora assonnata.
Ciao, piccola giraffa!

Due to the texture the book is recommened for ages 3 and up, but the story and illustrations will appeal to younger children as well.

Babar and His Children - Babar in famiglia

Really, what more can be said about Babar. This is the Italian translation of the classic French story by Jean de Brunhoff. Presented somewhat like a chapter book in a small, paperback format this edition is best suited to readers age 8 years and up. Of course, you can read it to younger kids, but as the book is small so are the pictures. Still, all the original pictures are there and all the charm. That translates in any language!