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Buenas noches, luna Review
User Submitted Buenas noches, luna ReviewsMay 9, 2008 Does not lend itself to Spanish I was so excited to find Goodnight Moon in Spanish, as the English version was a favorite of my siblings 20 years ago, and my 15 month old son today. We have dozens of Spanish translations of English books, some of which work better than others. I had hoped this one would at least be okay, but for me, it seems very awkward and loses the charm of the original; and my son will not listen to even a page read in Spanish. Others have commented that the book keeps the rhythm of the Spanish language, but I couldn't disagree more. I am hesitant to simply blame the translator--with such simple images, I think there is only so much a translator can do to preserve the feeling of the original, and perhaps this book just didn't lend itself. All the charming rhymes seem to be lost, without being replaced, and so the repetition that is so soothing, even to babies, just isn't there. In addition, the lines themselves feel so much longer in Spanish, as well, and my son, who adores the English, gets very impatient for the page to be turned. Let me just provide a couple examples. From the first page to the second: English: In the great green ROOM, there was a telephone, a red balLOON, and a picture of...the cow jumping over the MOON. Okay, maybe "room" is a stretch there, but there is a rhythm to that rhyme. Spanish: En la gran habitacion verde, hay un telefono, un globo rojo y un cuadro...de una vaquita que salta sobre la Luna. Some other pages are slightly better: English: 2 little kittens and a pair of mittens Spanish: Dos gatitos juguetones, dos caletines y dos mitones But followed by: English: ...comb and a BRUSH and a bowl full of MUSH, and a quiet old lady who was whispering HUSH Spanish: ...cepillo y un gran peine y papilla en un tazon, y una amable viejecita que teje muy calladita. So is there some rhythm in the Spanish translation? Sure. But does it even approximate the English? No, I don't think so. Of course translations are not going to be perfect, but we own many Spanish texts [translated from English] that are virtually as good as (or even occasionally better than) the original. The awkwardness of this translation seems to present a bad example of the beauty and flow of Spanish, and unless reading the English version is not a possibility, I really don't recommend this book in Spanish--especially not with a baby or toddler. An older, school age child who wants to learn the Spanish vocabulary would, I think, be much more likely to enjoy this book (thus the 2 stars instead of 1). Note for reference: Some board books we have enjoyed in Spanish include "Donde esta el ombliguito" by Karen Katz, and all the "Este no es mi..." books (Este no es mi dragon being a favorite among favorites, though, to be fair, some of the word choices are a bit odd, but that doesn't affect the overall flow of the book). January 23, 2008 Great start for children and adult. I purchased this book for my children so they can learn the language. They are really enjoying it and learning it fast because we have the English version. I think it would be a great start for adults who want to learn Spanish. December 8, 2007 Muy bueno! Leo este libro a mi hija cada noche antes de su hora de dormir. I read this book to my daughter every night before her bedtime. She loves it! October 24, 2007 Goodnight Moon Not the same quality as the English version. Colors are faded and paper is really cheap. the Spanish version doesn't rhyme and loses a lot in the translation. My girl loves the English version, but not the Spanish one July 23, 2007 Great for bedtime... but the rhymes were lost in translation My 2 yr. old loves to call out every object in the pages. Since the text is meant to rhyme in the english version - wich gives it its charm- we read it in both languages. We are delighted by its simplicity and can't go a night without it. We love it and it will be passed on to my younger one. April 25, 2007 Great classic book, even better in Spanish I think I love this book even more than my kids, & this is their favorite. The simple rhyming lines are even more beautiful in Spanish. My kids can repeat the entire book... And who doesn't love Margaret Wise Brown? March 23, 2007 Great Spanish reinforcement I've read Goodnight moon to my now 5 month-old baby every night since he was less than two months old. Since most of the books I have are in English and I want to raise my child bilingual, I decided to get our nightly routine book in Spanish for more reinforcement. It is great, he recognizes the book that we read in English, and I can read him in my native language helping him become a bilingual child. January 19, 2007 Sweet book... I love this book in Spanish as much as I do in English. It doesn't lose any of it's rythme in the translation. January 18, 2007 Clásico Classic in Spanish. Most children own the English version, so the Spanish version will be familiar. I like that it is not bilingual, and the translation is very well done. Flowing "buenas noches, luna... buenas noches, habitación..." makes it easy for children to learn vocabulary. My kids love to find el ratoncito (little mouse) on each page and la luna. I am a fluent Spanish speaker, mother and teacher. I use this book as one of my staples in class for preschoolers from baby to age 5. January 2, 2007 Great Book This is a great book and I got the spanish version for my grandson because his father is of mexican decent and we want him to learn Spanish in addition to English at an early age. I also got the English version so he can hear it in both languages. Wonderful story. For more Buenas noches, luna reviews click here.
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