It is not often I pick up a book and feel the urge to write about it. The Fabulous Lost & Found is a children’s book written by Mark Pallis and printed by NEU Westend Press.
Aimed at children aged 2-7 years, this book tells the story about a little mouse, who has lost his hat. The little mouse visits a yellow building that is full of lost items. If you ever lose anything, this is where it ends up. But the little mouse can only speak Welsh, so Mr and Mrs Frog have to work out what the mouse has lost!
What makes this book extra special is how it begins to introduce its readers to a new language, the Welsh language in fact. As a mother who has two children in a Welsh school, and can only read and write a little myself, it is a novel way to bring us together as a family.
Growing up in a prominently English speaking city, even though Cardiff is the capital of Wales, you are still surrounded about bilingualism everyday. Most notably, visitors to our city will notice the bilingual signage upon crossing the Prince of Wales bridge. People may jeer at the fact that our signs may sometimes be amusing to read, but that doesn’t diminish the passion that we have for the Welsh language in Wales.
This book is a fun exiting tale to introduce a second language to children whether you’re in the classroom, or at home.
Illustrations by Peter Baynton
It uses the ‘story-powered language learning’ method to develop an interest in the Welsh language and to learn new words in a gentle way.
The using an innovative learning method to introduce new languages through the power of story
Written by Mark Pallis and illustrated by the award winning artist Peter Baynton, who animated The Tiger Who Came to Tea on the television, this will be a book that you’ll want to keep and read again and again.
The book uses a blend of English and Welsh to tell the story. The little Welsh mouse introduces new words such as numbers, and big, small, thin and tall.
The words used in the context of the story, along with the pictures, are easily understood and translated in Welsh to English. It’s a far cry from the picture-based learning cards that you often see.
I’d highly recommend this book for young children, non speaking Welsh parents and grandparents, to learn a few new words in the Welsh Language.
