Kenard Pak, How To Say I Love You In Five Languages, Wide Eyed Editions/Quarto UK, Jan 2018, 10pp., $18.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781786030818
When I was a kid in a bookstore, I would find every book that made noise and press the buttons over and over. A book that made noise! Incredible!
Here, Kenard Pak has produced a lovely board book, which, as well as making noise, promotes linguistic and cultural diversity and knowledge. Each page shows a different child from a different place, someone they love and how they express that feeling. Buttons on the side of the book allow readers to hear the children say ‘I love you!’ in English, French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin.
The simple and repetitive structure is smart – it allows for an easy and enjoyable read, while keeping the focus on the different languages being spoken.
The illustrations are graphic and modern whilst retaining a classic storybook style.
Young children are sure to be as excited by the audio interaction as a younger-me was, and parents will be excited by the opportunity to expose their children to different languages in a simple way.
Reviewed by Madeleine Crofts
