Little Pim books are here!

Little Pim Books are here! We are very excited to share with you the publication of our first books for young learners of Spanish and French, called FEELINGS and COLORS. The books make delightful companions to our Spanish and French learning system of DVDs, flash cards, CDs and interactive games. They tell colorful simple stories for kids aged one through age four, and are full of pull tabs, lift the flaps, and of course, their favorite panda, Little Pim!

In FEELINGS, Little Pim helps kids learn how to say useful phrases like “I am happy” and “I am scared” and “I am shy” and in COLORS we learn seven colors, through a balloon treasure hunt that ends in a surprise party! The books are written in English, with French and Spanish words and phrases throughout, and as always, we include easy phonetics so that parents can use these even if they don’t speak the language themselves.

I love reading books to my children and never found the right bilingual books that were engaging and interactive. These books will help you bring French and Spanish learning to storytime in a new, super fun way.

Like all Little Pim products, our books are beautifully designed, affordable, and easy to use. Two more books in this series, published by Abrams Publishing, will come out in the Spring, so stay tuned. For languages other than Spanish and French, look out for our e-books, coming soon!

To order the books, click here.

Little Pim Wins a 2011 Tillywig Brain Child Award

We're so pleased to announce that Little Pim German has won a 2011 Tillywig Brain Child Award!Brain Child awards are specifically for "exciting products that energize the mind while seamlessly blending fun and learning". Below are the wonderful things Tillywig had to say about Little Pim: "It's been well established that children have a window of time in their early years during which they can easily learn multiple languages. It would be a shame not to take advantage of that golden window, and Little Pim is an early language-learning system designed to do just that. The German Gift Set Plus comes with a boxed set of 60 German word and phrase cards and a boxed 3-pak of German language DVDS introducing over 180 words and phrases, as well as an 8-inch Little Pim Panda plush toy, all packaged in a reusable see-through tote. Little Pim is a cute and peppy panda, appearing throughout the DVDs and on every language card. The live action and animation make the DVDs highly engaging, and each well-illustrated flash card also denotes which DVD teaches that card's word or phrase in order to help reinforce learning. The DVDs are lots of fun, very child appropriate, and parents enjoy learning from them as much as do children! Little Pim offers products in 10 languages."

Thank you for supporting us and helping bring access to fun foreign language education to children all over the United States (and beyond!).

Full Stomach, Happy Heart

If you’re anything like me, you are delighted if you can find a cute new book that will:1) stimulate your child’s mind

2) teach a few new words in another language

3) introduce different cultures

I recently discovered the adorable and beautifully illustrated, “A Mango in the Hand” that delivers on all three! This new title from Abrams Books is about a little boy named Francisco, who goes on a mission to pick some mangos and has adventures along the way that are both entertaining and teach valuable life lessons. The book is written in English, but is full of Spanish sayings like “no hay mal que por bien no venga” (every cloud has a silver lining) and all the Spanish expressions are listed in a glossary at the end.

I had fun doggy-paddling my way through the Spanish phrases (neither Emmett nor I actually speak Spanish, but we both like the way it sounds!). The book offers a lot of chances to ask your child “what do you think that saying means?” and have an interesting talk about the challenges of growing up, making mistakes, and sometimes misreading people. I actually got a little teary at the part where the “crabby aunt” turns out to be the hero and teaches her nephew “amor con amor se paga” (love is repaid with love). I’m also a big fan of expression ”barriga llena, corazón contento” (full stomach, happy heart). I can’t believe they don’t have the equivalent in French!

Make sure to have some mangos on hand when you read the book, you’ll be craving one after you’re done!

If you like books that teach, look out for Little Pim books, coming out this summer! Your children will have fun learning words and phrases with their favorite panda in these colorful board books. There will be four books in all, starting with COLORS and FEELINGS, in English with Spanish and French lift the flaps and pull-tabs. Check back on our website or sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when the books are released!

Little Pim Books – Colors and Feelings in English, Spanish, French.

Contest: Win Big from Putumayo Kids

We know you want your kids to learn different languages and cultures. What better way than through music? Putumayo Kids introduces children to other cultures through fun music from all over the world.

Putumayo shares our passion for creating global citizens.

The Putumayo Kids music team chooses songs with child-friendly lyrics and rhythms by both renowned and undiscovered international artists. The collections of songs are tested in schools and with families. An international music selection contributes to the education of future global citizens while holding true to Putumayo’s mission of sharing music that is “guaranteed to make you feel good”. -putymayo.com

Watch a preview below!

For a chance to win a full collection of their kids' CDs, just leave a comment telling us what your favorite genre of music is! You can also enter by leaving a comment on our Facebook page. Look for the "Putumayo Kids" thread.

And the winner is... Rachel Cox Cassidy! "I've been previewing Putumayo's cd's on their website, and really enjoy the Reggae Playground. Makes me wanna dance! ;)"

Rachel, please email adam@littlepm.com to claim your prize. Thanks for the entries, everyone! Look out for more fun contests in the VERY near future. :)

The benefits of bilingualism - Dr Bialystok

Here at Little Pim, we’re well versed in the benefits of foreign language learning. We know just how important it is for a child’s early development, the advantages multilinguals have in reading, math and social skills, and how it improves memory overall. Journalist Claudia Dreifus’s excellent interview with Dr. Ellen Bialystok serves as a good reminder of just how critical language learning can be for young minds. Printed in the New York Times Science section this week, Dr. Bialystok’s interview is currently the most emailed article on NYTimes.com, and makes for a truly fascinating read.

Dr. Bialystok is a leading psychology professor, whose main academic focus is bilingualism and its effect on language and cognitive development in children. She has received many prestigious awards for her research, including the Killam Prize and the Pimsleur Award for Foreign Language Education (named for my late father, Dr. Paul Pimsleur).

I’ve highlighted a few of Dr. Bialystok’s main points she made in this week’s New York Times piece:

As we did our research, you could see there was a big difference in the way monolingual and bilingual children processed language. We found that if you gave 5- and 6-year-olds language problems to solve, monolingual and bilingual children knew, pretty much, the same amount of language.

But on one question, there was a difference. We asked all the children if a certain illogical sentence was grammatically correct: “Apples grow on noses.” The monolingual children couldn’t answer. They’d say, “That’s silly” and they’d stall. But the bilingual children would say, in their own words, “It’s silly, but it’s grammatically correct.” The bilinguals, we found, manifested a cognitive system with the ability to attend to important information and ignore the less important.

…There’s a system in your brain, the executive control system. It’s a general manager. Its job is to keep you focused on what is relevant, while ignoring distractions. It’s what makes it possible for you to hold two different things in your mind at one time and switch between them.

If you have two languages and you use them regularly, the way the brain’s networks work is that every time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort through everything and attend to what’s relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that system more, and it’s that regular use that makes that system more efficient.

Q. One would think bilingualism might help with multitasking — does it?

A. Yes, multitasking is one of the things the executive control system handles. We wondered, “Are bilinguals better at multitasking?” So we put monolinguals and bilinguals into a driving simulator. Through headphones, we gave them extra tasks to do — as if they were driving and talking on cellphones. We then measured how much worse their driving got. Now, everybody’s driving got worse. But the bilinguals, their driving didn’t drop as much. Because adding on another task while trying to concentrate on a driving problem, that’s what bilingualism gives you — though I wouldn’t advise doing this.

Not convinced yet? There is more!

On average, the bilinguals showed Alzheimer’s symptoms five or six years later than those who spoke only one language.”

You can read the piece in its entirety here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/science/31conversation.html

I also recommend Dr. Bialystok’s “Language Processing in Bilingual Children” if you’re interested in delving into her research, which covers many of her discoveries in more depth:

Little Pim parents are always telling me of the benefits of foreign language learning for their children – benefits that extend beyond the obvious ability to communicate in another language. I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations about how introducing your child to another language has affected their early development. I know that my son had an easier time recognizing “big words” in English because he could recognize the French root in words like “chagrin” (which means sad in French) or “collage” (from the French word colle, which means glue). He is also accustomed to absorbing vocabulary words, which has improved his concentration and ability to stick with challenging mental tasks. What have you seen in your kids?

Memorial Day Traveling With Kids & Little Pim

We believe that treks with kids are made easier with a little preparation and these days it doesn’t hurt to have an iPhone, car DVD player, or tablet to make the trip that much more enjoyable. With Little Pim you can combine entertainment & learning. Does it get any better for your wee travel buddies?

We’re thrilled to announce that Little Pim was selected to win two prestigious awards this month!

Dr. Toy has chosen Little Pim’s Gift Set Plus- a gift set that includes three of our language DVDs, a set of Word & Phrase Cards, and a plush panda- to win a Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Children’s Product Award! Dr. Toy, Stevanne Auerbach, PhD, has been for many years one of the nation’s and world’s leading experts on play, toys, and children’s products. With 30 years of direct experience, Dr. Auerbach includes educationally oriented, developmental and skill building products from the best large and small companies in her four annual award programs.

We also received another new award from the Dove Foundation Review Board for our Spanish 3-Pak (Vol. I).

As you plan your seasonal getaways, be sure to take Little Pim along- our Digital Downloads are compatible with your mobile device or smartphone. With 10 languages to choose from and our two iPhone Applications: Little Pim Talking Coloring Book and Little Pim Word Bag, the only thing left to pack is sunscreen.

Here are some travel games you can play: 1. My favorite car game as a child was I spy. This is a GREAT game for your kids to build their vocabulary, both in 
English and in a foreign language. Even if they can’t spell yet, you don’t have to play I spy with letters – you can play it with sounds, or other descriptors. Passing by a field? I spy something that goes “moo”. Whether it’s a cow or una vaca, it’s a fun game to keep your kids engaged with what’s going on around them, and build their vocab and ability to describe their surroundings. 2. Make a map of where you’re going. Or rather, let your kids make a map – it doesn’t have to be to scale. Getting them to draw landmarks they see along the way – whether it’s a strange tree or a wacky building – this is a fun game for any aspiring cartographer. 3. Counting cars, counting cows, counting anything really. This is a fun game even as an adult (you can play it with license plates while your kids play it with car colors). Again, get them to count in English or in a foreign language. You can make it a quest to find a house or car that's red/rouge/ 主要翻译, and helping your kids count in another language.

4. And last, but certainly not least – what journey would be complete without Little Pim? Get a digital download, put it on your smartphone or tablet, and let your kids watch and learn as you weave through traffic. Alternatively, pop in the Spanish or French bop CD, and have yourselves a good old-fashioned road trip sing-along!

To celebrate our awards, we're holding a special contest! In the comments below share one item you never leave behind when traveling with your children. One person will win any one DVD or Word & Phrase Cards deck of their choice!

The Winner of the Hanna Andersson Contest is...

We're happy that so many of you enjoyed our latest contest with Hanna Andersson! Did you know that Hanna Andersson is a company built from Swedish roots? The original Hanna Andersson was a baby-loving grandmother in Skåne, Sweden near the Baltic Sea who passed on her fondness of quality goods to her granddaughter, the founder of the company so many of you adore.

The love that Julia Pimsleur Levine, the mom behind Little Pim, has for sharing languages with young children was passed down to her by her father, Dr. Paul Pimsleur. Dr. Pimsleur (of the Pimsleur language program for adults) was a French scholar and pioneer in the field of foreign language learning. Now Little Pim's animated DVDs are sharing French, Spanish, German, Russian, and six other languages with young children around the world (our success stories are amazing), including celebrity moms like Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba!

No wonder we have so much fun together; two companies based on a global tradition committed to children.

Ready for the winner? The winner of the $100 Hanna Anderrson gift certificate is...Ellen Kucera! Ellen please email adam@LittlePim.com. Thank you for all of your entries!

This contest has put us in the giveaway mood! We're giving away a Little Pim Gift Set: this set includes three DVDs and a Little Pim Plush Panda ($59.95 value). Simply comment to enter.

Did You Know?

Young children who learn a language before the age of five tend to have superior reading, writing, analytical and social skills, as well as more extensive vocabularies.

You do not need to be bilingual to help your child learn a second language.

The most current scientific research has proven that babies, toddlers and preschoolers are uniquely equipped to learn one or more languages with ease.

To enter to win a Little Pim Gift Set in the language of your choice, just leave a comment below stating what language you'd like your child to learn. A winner will be notified via email.

Cinco de Mayo por qu no?

Whether you are teaching your children Spanish or just looking to expand their awareness of other cultures and traditions, Cinco de Mayo offers a great chance to have some fun with your kids and learn about Mexican culture, music and food.

Cities with large Mexican populations like Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston host annual Cinco de Mayo festivities that draw hundreds of thousands of people every year. Whether or not you live in an area with a large Mexican community, there are many things you can do to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this May 5th:

1) Even the youngest Spanish students can say “Cinco De Mayo”, already a big confidence boost for young language learners! You can lead your kids in a fun chant: ”¡Viva México! Viva el 5 de mayo!”, and even if your kids are not studying Spanish, it’s the second most widely spoken language in the US. Many of those Spanish-speakers are from Mexico, and while Cinco de Mayo does not hold as much significance in Mexico as it does in the abroad, it’s observed in the US as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

2) Mexican food is one of the world’s great cuisines. In fact, in 2003 UNESCO officially declared Mexican food as a piece of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity! Although Mexican food can be incredibly complex (some sauces take literally days to make) a lot of Mexican food is simple and fun. Try making guacamole and chips with your kids, or cookies with red, green and white sprinkles (à la Mexican flag). You can also follow this simple guide to create your own maracas, then play Little Pim Spanish Bop while you are cooking and have a Cinco de Mayo dance party!

3) Your kids can understand a good story about the underdog. Tell your kids a simplified version of the history behind Cinco de Mayo, which is really about how a small group of clever, determined people (the Mexicans), overcame a much more powerful, bigger army (who were French). Since kids always can relate to the little guy, they will appreciate this story (leaving out the details about all the gory battles and beheadings, of course).

Most of all, make it fun! ¡Diviértanse! (have fun). Enjoy the fiesta!

Cinco de Mayo Giveaway: Post photos of how you celebrated the holiday to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mylittlepim) for a chance to win a free digital download of any three Little Pim DVDs (worth $41.95). Alternate entry method: email info@LittlePim.com

Try this FREE online game: Spanish Heritage - Piñata Game

Japanese Moms Come Together to Stand With Japan

Here at Little Pim, we’ve been keeping a close watch on the recent disaster in Japan. Our hearts are with everyone who has been affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunami. The magnitude of the tragedy may be obvious to us as parents, but it’s difficult to know what to say to your children, and how to explain it. We don't want to scare them, but we do want them to understand how we are all part of one interconnected world. This weekend, my family went to a festival organized by Stand With Japan, a new association of New York moms who set out to raise money for Save the Children's Japan fund. We took Emmett (six) and Adrian (three), to this family event that included a Japanese bake sale, origami making, and a koto recital (a beautiful Japanese string instrument that you can check out on YouTube).

Emmett had heard about the tsunami at school, and had also seen the wonderful movie Ponyo, about a boy and a half-fish half-girl who weather a tsunami in a small Japanese town. We had talked about the Japanese disaster a bit (one of his classmates is half Japanese and has family there), but I felt I hadn't done enough to help him understand how we could help our Japanese friends from right here in New York.

I think that an important part of raising “global citizens,” is helping our kids make connections between seemingly distant people and places and their own lives, which tend to be filled with very local preoccupations. In addition to giving kids the advantages of being able to communicate with people through speaking another language, it’s important to try and give them access and exposure to other cultures in any way you can. As adults, we sometimes forget that the interconnectedness of the world is not that obvious to children. We hear about Japan on a daily basis and understand both the human tragedy and its global implications, but young children need a helping hand to connect those dots. A cultural event like the one organized by Stand With Japan was great not only because we got to help raise money for relief efforts, but because it showed our boys several important things:

1. There are many Japanese people in our community – people directly connected to the same Japan that Emmett was told about in school.

2. Japan, and Japanese people, have a rich tradition they hadn’t seen before, from the costumes, to the food, tea rituals and music.

3. Most importantly, my kids were able to see how we can help people in the rest of the world though local efforts.

Although my boys aren’t quite ready for the delectable sushi that was on offer, through the sweet goodness of Sticky Buns and Red Bean cakes, they were transported for an hour or two into another culture, something I hope they will grow a taste for.

Q: Are there any local efforts for Japan that you can get involved in, or take your kids to? Have you gone to any already?

Take Action: Donate to the Save the Children Japan Earthquake Tsunami Relief

L'âne a diné: Watching My Son Learn French

Yesterday Emmett read his first sentence in French. It was “l’âne a diné.” Ok so “the donkey ate dinner” may not mean much to you, but it was a huge moment for me. I was proud and excited that he’s reading in a second language and reminded how important is to keep the teaching fun (he picked that sentence to read because it was silly!). This was part of Emmett’s French homework, which we do together every Sunday night before he has French class after school on Mondays.

If you have followed my blog, you know that it hasn’t always been easy to keep Emmett’s interest in French. I created Little Pim for him when he was a baby and we had a few good years of learning the words in the DVDs, naming animals and numbers, referring to apples as “les pommes” and singing French songs. Then around age four, Emmett, like so many kids of parents who speak a second language to them, started seriously objecting when I spoke French (as in, “don’t speak French!! “ and covering his ears) and it’s been pretty much an uphill battle ever since (he’s now six). So that I could let Emmett continue what struck me as an otherwise healthy separation/differentiation from his mom (rejecting what he saw as “my language”) but not letting his French slide, I brought in a wonderful kids’ French tutor (he loves her! saved!) and the French continued, despite occasional assertions that he’d rather play more soccer, see his friends or do just about anything else (I was unphased…Tiger Mom, move over).

In case you have a child who is not always 100% grateful for the foreign language gift you are giving them, you may share my moment of relief when I heard “l’âne a diné.” It was like suddenly years of reading him French books, playing French DVDs and insisting he continue French, just paid off. He can read in French! He has a good accent! He was actually pretty pleased with himself. This sentence means Emmett is just small steps away from accessing the French language, culture, films, music and so many other delights I wanted him to be able to experience as a dual speaker. So if your children are in one of the phases of “I don’t want to learn French/Spanish/Chinese/German…”, don’t give up! Your donkey will come.

This summer we are going to France as a family. I can’t wait to hear Emmett read the signs at the airport. Then, on to Proust.