Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Three Kings Day: A Celebration At Christmastime

For many Latino Americans one of the best things about Christmas is that it lasts for twelve days. The final day, Three Kings Day, comes on January 6 and honours the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem. It’s a favourite holiday for children, with presents from the kings as well as parades, performances, parties, lively music, and scrumptious food. While describing the customs and revelry ten-year-old Veronica shares with her family and New York City’s Puerto Rican community, this book portrays a celebration that is rich in tradition and artistry. A glossary and index are included.

El Flamboyan Amarillo

A young boy and his mother go for a walk in the country and are awed by the beauty of a yellow flamboyan tree. After enjoying its company and shade, the child takes one of its seeds with him and plants it. He cares for it over many years and in time the plant grows into a beautiful flowering tree.

La Diablesse and the Baby

Winner of both the Alcuin Society Design Award and the Storytelling World Honor Award, this is the eerie and colorful tale of the legendary creature–half human, half demon–that roams the Caribbean night, and how a brave Grandma outwits it.

Tiger Soup: An Anansi Story from Jamaica

After tricking Tiger into leaving the soup he has been cooking, Anansi the spider eats the soup himself and manages to put the blame on the monkeys.

The Secret Footprints

The Dominican legend of the ciguapas, creatures who lived in underwater caves and whose feet were on backward so that humans couldn’t follow their footprints, is reinvented by Julia Alvarez. Although the ciguapas fear humans, Guapa, a bold and brave ciguapa, can’t help but be curious–especially about a boy she sees on the nights when she goes on the land to hunt for food. When she gets too close to his family and is discovered, she learns that some humans are kind. Even though she escapes unharmed and promises never to get too close to a human again, Guapa still sneaks over to the boy’s house some evenings, where she finds a warm pastelito in the pocket of his jacket on the clothesline.

The Twins and the Bird of Darkness: A Hero Tale from the Caribbean

When a benevolent king and his daughter, Princess Marie, find their peaceful kingdom threatened by an enormous, evil, seven-headed bird, the brave princess offers herself as the bird’s hostage in order to prevent the entire kingdom from being thrust into eternal darkness. As soon as Soliday, a kindhearted, hardworking, and generous youth hears about the princess’s sacrifice, he vows to kill the Bird of Darkness and save Marie. His identical twin brother — the jealous, lazy, and dishonest Salacotta — accompanies Soliday on the dangerous journey, but doesn’t lift a finger in order to rescue the princess or slay the monstrous bird. And the second Salacotta sees his chance to claim that he was the one who freed the princess, he does just that. Will Soliday be able to convince everyone that he is indeed who he says? Will his brother admit his treachery? Will Soliday ever be able to trust his twin again? This timeless and resonant folktale about the forces of good and evil and the redemptive power of brotherly love is the perfect story for the ages.

Old Letivia And The Mountain Of Sorrows

Shunned by superstitious townspeople who are suspicious of her healing gifts, Old Letivia, a wisewoman who lives on the rainforest island of Borinquen, journeys into the forest with her two friends and encounters dangerous tests of her courage.

Atariba and Niguayona: A Story from the Taino People of Puerto Rico

A Taino Indian legend about a young boy and his search for the healing caimoni tree.

La Vieja Letivia Y El Monte De Los Pesares

Shunned by superstitious townspeople who are suspicious of her healing gifts, Old Letivia, a wisewoman who lives on the rainforest island of Borinquen, journeys into the forest with her two friends and encounters dangerous tests of her courage.