Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book is a book that not only teaches children the alphabet, but also introduces another language.

This book is a very intriguing book, especially for younger children. It teaches the letters of the alphabet in english, but then gives a Swahili word that represents the letter. I think its a great way to expose children to a different language and culture. The book is also filled with beautiful illustrations that will also captivate young readers.

I think this book should be used in a pre-k or kindergarten classroom. It would be a great book to read aloud. You could have the children say the letters aloud, as well as the swahili words. Doing this, will allow them to comprehend the meanings better. After, the book can be passed around so that the students can get a better look at the wonderful illustrations.

The illustrations are fabulous! It won a Caldecott Honor ( )

Summary:
A great ABC book that features another culture. The Swahili language is paired with the english alphabet and some wonderful black and white drawings. Kids will learn the ABCs along with some words from anther language. Very engaging book.

Review:
I loved this book! It was so different from other ABC books I've seen and I loved learning new words from another language. Words are simple like Mama and the word for Friend which is rafiki (Rah-fee-key). Pictures are wonderful and show life in a village full of people and animals. Great book. ( )

is a cultured book that teaches the Swahili alphabet ( )

Jambo Means Hello is an alphabet book that has a Swahili word on each page starting with the corresponding letter. The word will be “baba” for mother, or “jambo” for hello, for instance. Then, there is the English translation of the word, and a short paragraph about the cultural meaning of the word. The book is accompanied by detailed black and white pencil drawings illustrating the cultural concept of the word in a typical small village in Africa. The drawings are very realistic and convey a strong sense of family, from the youngest children to the eldest grandparents. The lack of color in the pencil drawings makes the illustrations very realistic, but not as visually interesting. Children would probably prefer a more colorfully-illustrated book for this reason, even though the drawings are very skilled. The target audience for this group would be an early reader or someone learning their ABCs, to learn the different letters of the alphabet as receiving exposure to a different culture. ( )