2 x 2 (by 2): Rubia and the Three Osos & Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!

I am often dubious about books that have words in other languages thrown in, but Rubia and the Three Osos completely won me over. Bart read it to Ella one Saturday morning and he too commented on how excellent it was.

The book is done in rhyme and it works like a charm. And because the story of Goldilocks and the three bears is so well-known, it’s easy to figure out from context what the words in Spanish are. And the story has its own unique twists to it (including Rubia returning with a bowl of soup to replace the soup she ate and helping repair the little chair).

Also, you can’t go wrong with a book illustrated by Melissa Sweet. I love her bright, happy artwork and it’s the perfect complement to this story.

Ling & Ting is the longest book in the 2011 set of 2×2 titles (yes, I’m a little slow), so I’ve put it off for a long while, thinking Ella wouldn’t be able to sit through it.

To my surprise, she loved it, and we read it several times while we had it checked out.

There are five little stories about identical twins Ling and Ting. Each one is very brief, without too much text, and all quite amusing. In the first, Ting sneezes during a haircut which makes them not quite as identical.  In another, they make dumplings but they look so different that they call them “dumpLINGS” and “dumpTINGS.”

Definitely a great book and one I wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel to.