I'm Hungry! ¡Tengo Hambre!

hmatherly
Sep 11, 2023
2 min read

Genre/Awards: Texas Library Association 2 x 2

Age Group: PreK-6th

Plot Summary:

I’m Hungry! ¡Tengo Hambre! Is a conversation between two friends. The blue bird asks questions about what her T-Rex friend might like to eat in English, while the hungry T-Rex answers in Spanish. This clever device allows for the introduction of many different foods, helping to increase the vocabulary of the reader. Plot twists, changes in pacing, and tension all work together to quickly deliver a clever story.

I’m Hungry! ¡Tengo Hamre! Is also available in a Wonderbook format with read along audio, helping readers not only to learn to recognize the words, but also to learn correct pronunciation.

Justification

I’m Hungry! ¡Tengo Hambre! is on the Texas Library Association’s 2 x 2 2023 reading list. Two coworkers influenced my decision to choose this book. One lamented that it is difficult to find bilingual books. The other talked to me about how sad it is that more Americans don’t learn Spanish. These conversations inspired me to learn some Spanish phrases by reading and reviewing bilingual books.

Illustration

Simple illustrations help tell the story of the blue bird helping a T-Rex decide what to eat. Plain white backgrounds keep the reader’s focus on the words, not the pictures. The orange and blue font colors match the colors of the characters which helps the reader follow who is talking and distinguish between English and Spanish text.

Pacing

The blue bird starts the conversation with simple questions, which the T-Rex answers on the next page. As she becomes more frustrated with the T-Rex’s apathy, the pace picks up and more questions are included on each page. Finally, a plot twist near the climax brings the pacing to a an almost full-stop as the blue bird regroups and must quickly resolve a new problem.

Tension

Everyone at some time has been hungry and not sure what they want to eat. This low-key tension quickly changes when the T-Rex finally decides what he is hungry for. The blue bird must think quickly to resolve the new problem.