Lena and I reviewed a set of three Little Pim books: Animals, Numbers, and Feelings. Appropriate for kids ages 0 to 6, these board books, which are all in English, are designed to engage kids and teach them words in both French and Spanish. The books weave vocabulary into hide-and-seek stories featuring Little Pim, the panda. I loved—and so appreciated—that each word in French and Spanish is accompanied by its pronunciation. I think the last thing a parent who is looking to expand their child’s vocabulary and encourage them to learn a new language wants to do is teach their child to mispronounce a word. 
The way I prefer to read these books is to pick one second language (Spanish) and simply read the books in English and repeat the animal (or number or feeling, etc.) in Spanish. Lena would repeat the word back to me, so I felt that she was learning. And hey, even though I took Spanish in college, it was a nice refresher course. Once we get comfortable with the Spanish, we will read the books using the French vocabulary words.
I think the core age for these books is kids ages 2 to 4. Lena enjoyed opening the flaps and pulling the tabs to reveal the hidden characters and words, but I think this format is most appealing to a 2- or 3-year-old. However, this style is great for hiding a word’s pronunciation and then revealing it when ready.
This product and more from Little Pim will be on display at The Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite 14 event in New York City on July 17. Part of Blogger Bash, a two-day conference connecting bloggers and brands nationwide, Sweet Suite will feature the hottest toys and games for the upcoming holiday season. Visit thebigtoybook.com for more info, and follow the conversation on Twitter!
