Book Review Of Bonjour! Let's Learn French Visit New Places and Make New Friends!

Photo courtesy of: Judy Martialay

Author: Judy Martialay

Illustrator: Judy Martialay

Publisher: Piliglot Kidz Press

Released: December 9, 2017

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating: 4 Lemon Drops

I received a free copy of this book.

A book that introduces young readers to the French language and the surface culture of the country.

Review

Bonjour! Let's Learn French Visit New Places and Make New Friends is a picture book with many educational layers. It begins with Pete the Pilot preparing us for a plane ride to France. Once we arrive, we meet a group of young children building sand castles on the beach. 

Shortly after they leave, a snail named Louis, l' escargot moves in and declares himself king. Unfortunately, Louis' reign is cut short when a cat and dog run over the castle and trample it. But, all is not lost. 

When the children return the next day, they repair Louis' castle and shout their support for his reign. Long live King Louis, L'escargot! Vive le Roi Louis, l'escargot!

In a focused and seamless way, Martialay, weaves vocabulary, simple phrases and the surface culture of the French into the book. Prior to the story is an introductory list of targeted French vocabulary words and practical exercises to develop your skill set after.

A feature teacher's will appreciate is Martialay's additional French lessons in art, geography, and literacy. There is even a song and a skit for students to perform. Since the book includes everything for a well-rounded and comprehensive theme, it makes lesson planning easy.

As a person who knows very little French, I enjoyed the effortless way, Martialay, peppered French words into the story. It was easy to follow along and fun to learn new words without being forced to memorize them. Repetition of the target words is much more effective than rote memorization and causes them to naturally stick in your head.  

I would recommend reading the book to the accompanying audio version available on Martialay's website. It is a wonderful resource for learning the correct pronunciation of the French words and has some characteristically French music.

The book is intended for 6-10 years olds but with careful preparation it could easily be used in a Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom.

As an early childhood teacher, I give the book an A+ for cohesiveness, accessibility and it's educational value in teaching children about different cultures.

4 LEMON DROPS!
I Really Liked It!