My House Is Your House Audio (Spanish edition) : Mi casa es su casa

Rating:
Summary: Terrific bilingual kids' fun!
Review: I was so happy to find that Amazon.com had this tape in stock. I loaned our original copy to a friend and have never gotten it back. (I don't blame my friend!) Michele Valeri and her ensemble have put together a rollicking, narrative journey through much of Latin America, using little skits (I believe in her live act she used puppets for some characters) and original songs with a Latin beat. She sings in English and Spanish, jumping from one language to another, but always in a way that helps English-speaking children understand the meaning of the Spanish phrases from their context or her explanation. For example, the title track's chorus goes: "Mi casa es su casa [my house is your house], Whenever you are here, Mi casa es su casa, Sit down and rest my dear." My children had more fun listening to this tape. And as they got older, it even kept a carpool of 5 young boys absorbed on a 15-minute ride to school for days at a time! I can't recommend this gentle, fun, musical journey "south of the border" highly enough for all kids, not just those studying Spanish or kids (like 2 of mine) who came to us from Latin American countries speaking Spanish, and had to make a transition from one language to another. Muchas gracias, Michele!