What Is Your Language?

The lyrics to a children's song from the '60s serve here as text to introduce a variety of cultures to young readers. An adventurous boy boards a plane bound for various points around the globe. At each destination he asks the question ``What is your language?'' and receives a response from some friendly native kids, e.g., ``My language is Chinese / This is the way it sounds: / shi shi shi shi shi shi.'' Although a page with a simplified musical score and an endnote about languages--containing a pronunciation key--are somewhat informative, their isolation from the text makes for a disjointed reading experience. Readers must infer from stereotypical objects in Wellington's flat gouache and watercolor paintings which country is being visited. The moon-faced children all wear the same vapid but cheerful expression throughout the book. Though the emphasis on cultural tolerance is promising, this volume delivers little more than the translation of ``yes'' and ``no'' into a few foreign languages. Ages 2-6. (Jan.)