Status
Available
Collections
Publication
Scholastic (1997), 46 pages
Description
A collection of popular tales told to young children in places such as Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Mexico.
Local notes
Publishers Weekly, 01/05/1997
Previously paired for The Bossy Gallito, the author, who grew up in Cuba, and the artist, who grew up in Puerto Rico, plumb their own rich childhood memories for this thoroughly enjoyable collection of six "cuentos favoritos" (favorite tales). Gonzalez, a children's librarian and storyteller, knows just how to wring the most out of a story, and here she skillfully bolsters half a dozen folktales with generous helpings of lively dialogue and a sprinkling of Spanish words and phrases to create lilting readalouds. Some of the tales are familiar ("Juan Bobo and the Three-Legged Pot" in particular), some are not; all are much enhanced by Delacre's sun-dappled watercolors. Each page is framed with a border drawing of delicate wrought-iron work (a decorative staple in Spanish architecture) which visually intensifies the Latino flavor, and a glossary at the end of each story helps with pronunciation. There's even an informative afterword for each tale that offers a little something extra for adults (including Delacre's recipe for arroz con pollo). Ages 3-7.
Previously paired for The Bossy Gallito, the author, who grew up in Cuba, and the artist, who grew up in Puerto Rico, plumb their own rich childhood memories for this thoroughly enjoyable collection of six "cuentos favoritos" (favorite tales). Gonzalez, a children's librarian and storyteller, knows just how to wring the most out of a story, and here she skillfully bolsters half a dozen folktales with generous helpings of lively dialogue and a sprinkling of Spanish words and phrases to create lilting readalouds. Some of the tales are familiar ("Juan Bobo and the Three-Legged Pot" in particular), some are not; all are much enhanced by Delacre's sun-dappled watercolors. Each page is framed with a border drawing of delicate wrought-iron work (a decorative staple in Spanish architecture) which visually intensifies the Latino flavor, and a glossary at the end of each story helps with pronunciation. There's even an informative afterword for each tale that offers a little something extra for adults (including Delacre's recipe for arroz con pollo). Ages 3-7.
Awards
Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (Commended Title — 1997)
CCBC Choices (1997)
NCTE Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K—Grade 6 (12th Edition: 1996-1998)