Sophia the Great by Jorge A. Elias
Linguists, developmental psychologists and other childcare professionals all agree: the sooner a child starts learning a second language, the better! Speaking more than one language helps improve children’s communication skills and opens them up to a whole new world of opportunities. And there’s no better time to introduce it than ages 0-8, when kids’ brains are hungry for information as they take in the brand-new world around them.
But teaching a child two languages can feel like quite the challenge, especially if you don’t speak a second language at home. How do you even begin introducing so much new vocabulary to your child?
That’s where bilingual board books like the Sophia the Great series (Book Writing Bureau) are a lifesaver. Written by actor Jorge A. Elias, these books introduce common Spanish words, phrases and simple sentences that families can easily incorporate in daily life. And if you don’t speak Spanish, you might just happen to pick up another language by reading these books alongside your child!
Meet Your New Teacher, a Talking Bobcat
Sophia the Great, princess of Encino Kingdom (aka Encino, California), has just made an unusual new friend — a Spanish-speaking bobcat named Roberto Gato! As their new friendship develops over the course of these five board books, Roberto teaches Sophia a myriad of new Spanish words that relate to their adventures.
In book 1, The Beginning / El Comienzo, we first meet Sophia and Roberto Gato. This bilingual bobcat also introduces Sophia to his various animal friends and gives their Spanish names.
In book 2, The Vegetable Garden / La Huerta, Sophia learns the words for fruits and vegetables — words that will be easy for parents and children to practice during mealtimes.
Book 3, The Picnic / El Picnic, introduces more complex phrases as Roberto Gato regales Sophia with his life story while the two have a picnic.
Book 4, The Numbers / Los Numeros, covers — you guessed it, numbers! Roberto Gato helpfully uses manzanas (apples), vacas (cows) and other Spanish vocabulary for Sophia to count, reminding the reader of words the previous books have already covered.
And book 5, I Speak Spanish / Yo Hablo Español, has Sophia speaking in full sentences as she learns how to say greetings like “what is your name,” “how are you” and “I want to be your friend!”
Sharing (Language) Is Caring!
Born in Argentina in 1947, actor and author Jorge A. Elias immigrated to the US with only the Enlgish words he knew being “I work.” Once in California, he set to learning the language and, in his words, “soon realized the importance of two more words: acceptance and tolerance.” Now a proud father and grandfather, he’s been inspired to help younger generations learn Spanish and open their young minds to the connections we can make with others through shared language.
Targeted for children ages 2-7, the Sophia the Great series is packed with Spanish vocabulary that young learners will come across in daily life. As we follow Sophia on her educational journey, we see how she feels “like a new world [has] just opened up for her.” And as young readers and their families will soon find, that really is how it feels when you learn a new language!
Jorge A. Elias was born in Argentina in 1947. At the age of 16, he started his acting career at Teatro Experimental de Rosario under the direction of Jorge Velloso Colombres. Elias immigrated to the US in 1969 with the knowledge of only two words in the English language: “I work.” Arriving in California he soon realized the importance of two more words: “Acceptance” and “Tolerance”.
Elias was able to get casted as a regular in a weekly Spanish TV variety show titled “Escalera a la Fama” on then Los Angeles TV Channel 40 and from that moment on, he became part of the Spanish Television family forever. For Univision network he wrote, produced and hosted along with Humberto Luna, “Hablemos de Cine”, the longest running movie-review show in Spanish TV history.
Today, Jorge is the proud father of two daughters, Natasha Bernardette and Brittany Marie, and grandfather to Ryan, Madison and Sophia. Aware of another word in the English language: “relevant” he wanted to leave behind something more than his Television productions for the Hispanic market. And that is how he came with the idea of writing a collection of children’s stories with two characters, Sophia, a little girl that feels she is a royal princess (like every girl should feel) and her friendship with a Bobcat that showed up one night in the house where she lives in Encino, California. Jorge made that Bobcat a Latino Lion and that is how we have Sophia the Great and her adventures with Roberto Gato.
Buy this Book!
Amazon
