Twelve classic tales of Latin America celebrate the literature, culture, and history of thirteen countries, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. By the author of Arroz Con Leche.
- ISBN: 9780590481861
- Author: Delacre, Lulu
- Published: 1996 , Scholastic
- Themes: Classics, collection, Creation stories, folk tales
- Descriptors: Folklore and Fairy Tales, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Latin America
- No. of pages: 73
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Delacre’s work as an adult. I inherited the book in my classroom library, and was enticed by the mention of folk tales and the beautiful and elegant illustrations. The stories were delightful to read, and represent a variety of indigenous cultural traditions of Latin America. There are also accounts that take place before and after the Columbian era, providing an interesting perspective on colonization. There are also features of non-fiction text to help the reader cotextualize the stories; a map of Latin America highlighting the areas from which the tribes came, pronunciation guide, and both introduction and afterword.
My concern with this collection is that my students (6th grade) would be unable to read it independently. Perhaps if they perused it while in the classroom library, but did not try to read it straight through they could manage without frustration. But there is some challenging figurative language and non-standard syntax, which on top of the historical and cultural context might prove to be too challenging. Certainly, though, used as a read aloud or to provide cultural perspective on a historical unit, this book has a lot to offer.