Title: Kennedy and her Bink – Kennedy Y Su Chupeta: Book 1
Author: Maureen Sky
Illustrator: Maricella Obando Moya
Publisher: Xlibris
Pages: 11
ISBN: 978-1-5434-7676-7
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Pat Miller

Read Book Review

This book is titled Kennedy and her Bink and is Book 1 of the Kennedy Adventure Series by author Maureen Sky. Sky writes the dialogue in both English and Spanish, giving the bilingual household a tool for educating toddlers in both languages. Coupled with artistic illustrations, the impression of the storyline carries forth in a penetrating simplicity which would imprint on the young minds of children being read this book.

Kennedy is a little girl toddler who loves her bink – her pacifier. She keeps it in her mouth so her tiny tongue can play with it as she thinks about things. She takes her bink everywhere from bed, to in the car as she goes for rides, and just feels good knowing it is with her. Her bink is obviously a manifestation of a comforting phase all children go through. As Kennedy grows older, she realizes that she will have to someday part with her bink, but by that time she may substitute it for a soft blanket. With adorable pictures very colorfully drawn, we get to see the evolution of the bink as going from the lips of Kennedy to not being in her mouth any longer.

As for me, a reader not speaking Spanish, I did read to myself each of the interleaved Spanish pages, and now I can honestly say I have improved my vocabulary, albeit just a little, in recognizing some new words. To those who speak Spanish at home, this will help to teach them English, as it did the opposite for me. It is good to see this technique of having dual galley text recognizing that almost half of the toddlers in this country are ESL types of children. The author and illustrator bring the themes of Spanish and Mexican cultures to the images in a way which is inherent with the use of colors and patterns.

There is one drawing in particular which will have readers pause to admire. It is of a magical rainbow colored unicorn made of patchwork fabric in a fanciful world with smiling clouds, a church in the background, a teddy bear and a little girl. This quality of artwork combined with the basic simplicity of the well-chosen words, along with the bi- lingual aspects, makes this adventure book of little girl Kennedy a trophy of being the book 1 of a soon-to-be collection.

We certainly look forward to the continuing series of Kennedy as she ages up and goes on new adventures. But for now readers would all benefit and enjoy the introduction of this new childhood character in Kennedy and her Bink.