Keeping Fit from A to Z: Mantente en forma de la A a la Z

Editor: Stephanie Maze
Published by: Moonstone Press
Publication Date: September 2014
ISBN: 978-0983498353
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: September 30, 2014

Can you twist and turn like an acrobat? No, but perhaps you juega al béisbol or play croquet. Any way or language you express yourself in, there’s one thing for sure, that if you exercise / ejercicio, you’re sure to keep fit. This is not your ordinary A to Z book, but rather one that will keep you hopping though its pages. Maybe jump a little too and you’ll have a little chance to learn some new words in either English or en Español. Are you ready? Let’s take a little look at some of the super duper (or is that espléndido?) pages in this book!

All right, do you have a favorite letter? Maybe not, but perhaps you have a favorite sport – maybe you love mixed martial arts. Some people can do a karate kick / da una parada de kárate. Watch those boys as they practice their front kick. Very nice, very nice! There are ways to keep fit even if you aren’t in an organized sport. If you love snow you can hazel angel en la nieve (make a snow angel.) Ooooh, a little chilly, but watch those arms go up and down. H is for hazel, but V is for voltereta. No doubt many people have done one, but can you guess what voltereta means? Of course if you are Spanish, you know that it means ‘somersault.’

If you’re into reading you’ll whiz right through this book. Those letters will pop right out at you and you’ll learn all kinds of new words while you’re at it. Acampar, boxea, croquet (ah, you know that one!), danza, and more. Some like ‘croquet’ might be easy to figure out because it’s the same in both languages, but if you take a look at the photographs, you’ll probably be able to figure out what several other words mean. Of course each word in this book is one that has a lot to do with mantente en forma. Did you know that even the smallest things like playing hide and seek can help you keep fit? They can indeed.

This is a very unique A to Z book that, unlike many I’ve seen, is a bilingual one. The theme, “keeping fit,” is an excellent one that will translate and resonate with many homeschool and classroom teachers. Each page pops with exciting photographs of children enjoying life as they find ways to keep fit. Some of the activities are quiet ones while others are more dynamic and vibrant, however all espouse the fact that keeping fit is important. Children can plant flowers / planta flores or they can really move if they juega al fútbol (play soccer). Each page has a capitalized and lower case letter with a larger centralized activity and other smaller ones circling it. In the back of the book are “Other Activities You Can Try / Otras actividades que puedes probar,” “Games You Can Play / Juegos en los que puedes participar,” and an informative “Parents, Did you Know ...? / Padres, ¿sabian qué ...?” section to explore.

Quill says: Keeping Fit from A to Z / Mantente en forma de la A a la Z is a dynamic new A to Z alphabet book that is sure to find its way into small hands, hands that are eager to learn how to stay fit!

For more information on Keeping Fit from A to Z / Mantente en forma de la A a la Z, please visit the publisher's website at: www.moonstonepress.net