Spike, the Mixed-up Monster
With Audio Recording
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Meet Spike, a lovable monster—and a real-life salamander—who’s looking for friends in this lively eBook with audio that includes Spanish vocabulary.
Spike is a scary-looking salamander who keeps trying to frighten other animals—until he finds that using fear is not the best way to make friends. And since Spike lives in Mexico (he is an endangered species called the axolotl), this story is peppered with easy-to-understand Spanish words. In addition to a charming tale of friendship, this picture book contains nonfiction information about the axolotl and a Spanish/English glossary.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Odd-looking little Spike, who lives in a pond in Mexico, is a fierce monster in his own mind. But to everyone else in his ecosystem, Spike is a harmless cutie-pie (he's actually an axolotl, an endangered Mexican salamander). El pato (a duck) calls him "my funny little fish face," While el campa ol (a vole) says, "You're almost as adorable as me!" They all change their tune, however, when Spike stands up to a real monster a Gila monster, to be precise although readers know that the two creatures actually part ways as amigos. Unfortunately, this story of a mixed-up monster is a mixed bag itself. Sweet (Mrs. Harkness and the Panda) has created wonderful watercolor portrayals of every critter (her Gila monster is positively majestic) with one exception: the clunky hero, who never coalesces artistically (his head looks like a big smiley face) or in terms of personality. As for the Mexican setting, Hood (Pup and Hound) doesn't make much of it except for a sprinkling of mostly familiar Spanish words. Ages 4 8.
