Why We Created Binibi & Insights Into How Our Bilingual Children's Books Were Designed
The idea of creating Binibi came right after our kids were born. Soon after their birth, we became obsessed with the idea of them growing up bilingual. We ourselves had grown up speaking English and Spanish and it changed our lives.
Like many parents, we turned to bilingual baby books and quickly realized that our kids loved books with sound! After searching high and low for the books we wanted, we decided to create them ourselves. We knew that at such a young age, books would play an essential role in our children’s language development and so we decided to combine the playful, interactive books we knew our kids loved with the language we wanted them to hear.
Our vision from day one was to create a line of books that would make it easy and fun for parents to practice Spanish with their children. Our books enable parents to introduce Spanish at home as they engrain language-learning into everyday interactions and conversations through reading. As we worked to design our first prototypes, and eventually bring them to life, we were meticulous in the way in which each book was written, illustrated and printed.
As we wrote each book, we took into account the developmental needs and interests of children ages 0-3, the benefits of parents interacting with their children to reinforce language while reading and the importance of constant exposure to the target language which would mean reading the same bilingual books for babies over and over.
Here are some insights into Binibi children's sound books’ essential features so that the next time you read one with your little one, you know exactly the intention behind it! Plus, it may even give you some reading ideas!
Age range: Just right for your little one!- Short and simple phrases in English and Spanish that are easy to understand, giving your little one a head start on a new language
- High-quality, vibrant and detailed illustrations that attract little eyes and make it easy and fun to engage in conversation as you read
- Thick, sturdy and easy-to-clean pages that are easy for little hands to flip through
- Rounded edges that are gentle on kids as they explore the books
- Shiny, easy-to-press and easy-to-spot buttons with engaging sounds and songs that help develop fine motor skills
- English and Spanish text to facilitate language learning for everyone
- Clear, fun and distinctive animal and beach sounds to entertain your child, impart key matching skills and reinforce sound-object associations.Making connections between sounds and objects is one of the earliest steps towards literacy and gaining vocabulary skills as children begin to identify and attach meaning to sounds around them.
- All of our bilingual books for kids include educational elements throughout that open the door for additional learning opportunities and conversations as your little one grows:
- Counting elements: Items grouped in numbers to help teach your child to count
- Our signature buzzing bee, located in different part of each page, for a fun, find-the-bee game
- The use of primary colors throughout
- Varied use of characters and settings for maximizing vocabulary
- Action verbs you can point out and teach
- Relative positioning of the items in the books
- Free reading guides, tips and resources for parents from early education experts available on our website.
- Musical Books (Los Pollitos Dicen, Sol Solecito, Estrellita ¿Dónde Estás?)
- Our musical books include popular children's Spanish songs, also popular in English, that will entertain your child, provide rhyme & repetition and get them singing along to the Spanish nursery rhymes in no time
- All song audio in Spanish for added language exposure
- Sound Books (Visiting- Visitando La Selva, Visiting- Visitando La Granja, Visiting- Visitando La Playa)
- Key words are highlighted in both the English and Spanish texts so the reader can match them in both languages
- Musical and design talent from El Salvador to support local Hispanic artists
- Content vetted by language acquisition and early childhood development experts to ensure the best bilingual education for little ones in their earliest ages
- Easy ON/OFF switch for battery
- Safety Certified and compliance with U.S. safety standards for Children <12
It is our hope that you enjoy our collection of bilingual children's books just as much as we’ve enjoyed making them, and that you and your little one can bond and learn in Spanish together.
We’d love to hear from you, please reach out to us at hello@binibi.co!
-Ana & Luciana
(Co-founders)