Salsa Lullaby

Hi! I’m Ms. Gaby and below you’ll find a quick guide to use while reading the rhyming hardcover book (English with key words in Spanish) Salsa Lullaby.

Before Reading:

• Let’s look at the front cover, do you know what salsa music is? Do you know what a lullaby is? Looking at the characters on the cover, what do you think this book might be about?
• Let’s look at the back cover for some clues.
• Do you know what dancing (bailar) is?
• This book was written by Jen Arena, she is the author.

During Reading:

• This book is written in short and simple rhyme, so as we read, we can take our time, and concentrate on pronouncing and elaborating on the key words in English and Spanish:
  • Mami – mommy
  • Papi – daddy
  • Baila – Dance
  • Canta – Sing
  • Salta – Jump
  • Mira – Look
  • Duerme – Sleep
  • Buenas noches – Good night
• Additional vocabulary words to point to and elaborate upon:
  • Glides
  • Spins
  • Twists
  • Boundes
  • Sways
  • Dims
  • Cuddles

After Reading:

• Let’s talk about what we just read/listened to:
  • Who turns on the salsa music? (Mami/Mommy)
  • Who is keeping the beat with his feet? (Papi/Daddy)
  • What are the 5 things Mami y Papi ask Baby(bebé) to do? (Baila/Dance, Canta/Sing, Salta/Jump, Mira/Look, Duerme/Sleep)
  • Beside Mami, Papi and Baby, who is the other character in the story? (un Perrito)
  • What happens at the end of the story? How do we say good night in Spanish?
  • Let’s play some music and dance! ¡Vamos a bailar! (If you are reading this story as a bedtime story, you could play or softly sing a lullaby).

Give these suggestions a try and let us know how it went in a comment below!