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Reviewed by Kristen A. Peters for Readers' Favorite
In the bilingual children's book Oscar the Axolotl, Yellow Duck Press takes us on a vibrant trip to Mexico to meet a cheerful little pink amphibian. The story follows Oscar as he navigates daily life with his wonderful family—his hardworking dad at the clay factory, his mom who loves her kitchen time and telenovelas, and his siblings, Elena and Gabriel. As Oscar explores his world, the book seamlessly flips between English and Spanish, giving young readers a really fun, side-by-side way to pick up new vocabulary and phrases without ever feeling like a chore. It’s a sweet look at the small, everyday moments like family dinners and hanging out at home, all centered around the unique axolotl.
The way Yellow Duck Press weaves the two languages together in Oscar the Axolotl is brilliant because it feels like a natural conversation rather than some stiff classroom lesson. It is such a clever move to use an animal as "cool" and adorable as an axolotl to keep a child’s attention while they’re busy absorbing a second language. I loved the authentic, colorful touches—like the specific nod to the clay factory—that give the story a sense of heart and place you don't always find in your average picture book. The whole goal is to make bilingualism feel totally doable and exciting for the youngest readers, and it pulls that off with so much charm. It’s exactly the kind of story that makes you want to keep practicing new words right along with Oscar.
