Boca Beth is Muy Bueno. (I learned that on Boca Beth)

I recently raised my hand high when the good people of Parent Bloggers Network asked for those interested in looking into the Spanish language program, Boca Beth. Because we're all working to learn languages around here. You see, we are now a bilingual household. Which is really cool, as long as you’re bilingual. Which I’m not. Yet. So sure, I was hoping the Hurricane would like this program, which includes coloring books, dvds, cds, a puppet and maraca, created by mom and educator Beth Butler. But also, because my brain is older and less malleable than some others in our house, I figured I could use as much help as possible.

So we tried it out.

Here's the part where I wish our 18-month-old Hurricane could write this review. Because he would probably pontificate with a Spanish punch. He’d also no doubt tell you how he completely dug the Boca Beth I Like Animals/Me Gustan Animales DVD. Porque es realmente bueno. And because the kid really likes to dance, and sing, and watch other kids dance and sing. And that’s what’s going on during the first 23 minutes of this thing. That, and lots of animal footage. And this is all happening while Beth teaches the audience around 200 words and 85 phrases featuring animals from the neighborhood to the Serengeti.

The next 25 or so minutes show a Boca Beth classroom semicircle gathering of kids and parents talking and singing in Spanish. This is the point I though we’d lose him. You see, the Hurricane is not really that patient of a TV watcher. In fact, he's rarely interested any actual TV, and only loves a few Baby Einsteins. So I figured he’d get bored pretty quickly with the semicircle still cam. But oh how I was wrong. This was his very favorite part. He absolutely loved watching Beth, the puppet Boca, and the kids sing in Spanish.

It’s a cool idea, and here’s my favorite part about it…my son loved it. Loved it. The graphics aren’t Disney quality, and I might rather watch Grey’s Anatomy, but my favorite kid, well he was entranced. As someone who is learning English and Spanish at the same time, he absolutely lit up hearing them spoken together…back to back…connected…and I think he actually started to connect some concepts. For instance, we’ve been working on the “What does the cow/dog/cat/lion/pig/dinosaur/monster say?” game for weeks. And I think we’ve mastered cow. And maybe dog. But after watching the “What does the lion say/ ¿Qué dice el león?” portion of the program, he got it. Maybe it was actually seeing the lion. Or maybe it was because we now know how to ask that in Spanish. But something clicked. And now he rooooowwwwwllllllssss like a mad man.

So overall, I would say the Boca Beth program was a big hit in our household.

The Hurricane is connecting the languages with animals. And we're learning too. For instance, now I know how to sing the “No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” song in Spanish. And this can be handy. For instance, remember how we talked about songs that get stuck in your head? Well, the next time that pesky Justin Timberlake song barges into my cranium, I’ll just think…” No más monos que saltan en la cama.” And viola! Replaced. No more JT for days.

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And now my friends, it's giveaway time. Leave a comment here and a Hurricane chosen winner gets a Boca Beth song CD (worth $15) in the mail. Whoohoo! And leave a comment at the Parent Bloggers Network and you could win a Boca Beth prize package (worth $45). Good luck. Or as the Hurricane says, buena suerte!

ADDED: It seems that if you leave a comment here, you're also registered to potentially win the Boca Beth prize package. Yay you.

And the Winner Is.....NAMONA. You completely won. Email me at helloqueso at gmail dot com, and I'll send the CD your way. Ole!