It's Monday! What are you reading?

If ever I had an incentive to learn Spanish, I have one now--my "new" library gig is on a dual language campus.  And while my aptitude to retain foreign languages has been lacking in the past, my ability to pronounce words in Spanish, Italian, French, and German has always been pretty decent.  There is a large collection of books in Spanish in the library, and so I chose one with a subject dear to my heart--monarch butterflies.

I love the layout of Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer, illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero.  The lines alternate between the Spanish and English translations, making it a perfect book for our dual language classes.  It is considered an "Everybody" book, but does have factual information about the amazing journey of the monarchs from the northern regions of the United States to Mexico and back again.

Here are some photos of butterflies I helped along, from a few years ago: 

It's been fun practicing my Spanish as I read aloud Señorita Mariposa.  When I get the chance to share it with a class, I think I'll read it once through in English, then again in Spanish, so everyone can enjoy the rhythm of both languages.

It's Monday, and I'm reading a book to help me learn a new language!  Have you tried learning a new-to-you language using picture books?