Book Review: Keeping Fit from A to Z

Parents, Encourage Your Children
to Put Down Their
Electronic Gadgets & Games,
Get Off the Couch and MOVE!

Whether it's jumping with joy on a trampoline, flying kites on a breezy day, racing with friends in sleeping bags, rafting down rapids with your family or practicing karate kicks in class, exercise is key to one's health and well-being.

Keeping Fit from A to Z / Mantente en forma de la A a la Z is an innovative bilingual picture book for ages 3 and up that will delight children, parents, students, and teachers alike. The book includes more than 150 charming photographs, short captions and text that feature sports, exercise, movement and games.

Indoors or outside, the activities in this book are designed to inspire both young and older children (and their families) to move, be physically fit and be healthy--and at the same time introduce them to the ABCs and new vocabulary in two languages. The photographs are arranged in alphabetical order with their respective translations on the left (English) and the right (Spanish) side of each page, separated by a larger picture in the middle, where the activity begins with the same letter in both languages. Whether it's A for Acrobat/ Acróbata, B for Baseball/ Béisbol, E for Exercise/ Ejercicio, or V for Volleyball/ Voleibol, children and their families will understand that regular physical exercise has enormous health benefits for everyone! This highly visual book emphasizes the importance of both being active and having fun. Through its colorful photographic illustrations, it depicts a vast array of physical activities available in the world today. It also includes an additional list of activities in both languages to stimulate a child's imagination (from playing charades or riding a pogo-stick, to doing jumping jacks or square-dancing). There are activity suggestions involving movement and learning for the classroom (try spelling your name by using your arms, legs or body!), fun traditional games such as "Simon Says" or "Capture the Flag" that are known and practiced throughout the world, and a glossary of information for parents about the health benefits of exercise. My thoughts: What a great book this is.  Each page has vibrant colorful pictures, and a description of each people in both English and Spanish.  Each page represents a letter of the alphabet with activities and fun things you can do that start with that letter.  There are numerous and activities on each colorful page.  My kids are seven and ten, and love this book.  They each take turns on picking what activity/fun thing we are going to do out of this book.  It even has a picture of a small girl vacuuming.  My son wanted to go vacuum our living room, because he said it looked like fun.  There are so many different activities in this book, like wash a car, play leap frog, hopscotch, and so much more.  This book can keep parents busy with their kids for quite sometime.  It is my go to book when my kids and I can't decide on what to do. Whether we are indoors or outdoors. Great book to have in a classroom for younger kids, or in your home library.