A bilingual collection of short mystery stories for intermediate readers.
United States
Materials from United States of America
High Riders, Saints and Death Cars: A Life Saved by Art
Nicholas Herrera started life as a mischievous, dyslexic boy, born into one of the old Spanish families of New Mexico. Bad teachers and poor schooling helped him to lose himself in drugs, drinking, riding motorcycles and driving fast cars. A near-death experience, a wonderful mother and a fascination with making art saved him. Today Nicholas Herrera is one of the most noted Santeros in the US. His work is displayed in folk-art galleries across the country and is collected by the Smithsonian. He is noted for the highly personal, political nature of his work and his innovative treatment of what can sometimes be a rather bland art form designed to sell to tourists. His work is intensely personal and even confessional. A survivor of alcoholism and drug addiction, which almost led to his death in a terrible car crash, Herrera is now sober and remarkably productive. His art is his life and his life is his art. Extraordinarily charismatic, Herrera is the grandson, nephew and son of artists. His young daughter is now following in his footsteps.
Rubia and the Three Osos
Retells the story of Goldilocks and the three bears in rhyming text interspersed with Spanish words, which are defined in a glossary.
Bradley Mcgogg
Bradley McGogg makes his home in the bog where there are plenty of yummy bugs for a frog to feed on. But one day Bradley finds that his cupboard is bare. He turns to his neighbors to see if they will share their dinner with him. He soon finds that not all animals eat alike…With its infectious rhyming text and its enchanting art, Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog is bound to become a favorite with children and the people who try to feed them.
Side By Side/Lado A Lado
Every day, thousands of farmworkers harvested the food that ended up on kitchen tables all over the country. But at the end of the day, when the workers sat down to eat, there were only beans on their own tables. Then Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez teamed up. Together they motivated the workers to fight for their rights and, in the process, changed history. Award-winning author Monica Brown and acclaimed illustrator Joe Cepeda join together to create this stunning tribute to two of the most influential people of the twentieth century. Todos los dÍas, miles de campesinos cosechaban los alimentos que se servÍan en los hogares de todo el paÍs. Pero al terminar la jornada, cuando los campesinos se sentaban a comer, lo Único que habÍa en sus propias mesas era frijoles. Entonces, Dolores Huerta y CÉsar ChÁvez se unieron para motivar a los trabajadores a luchar por sus derechos y en el proceso, cambiaron el curso de la historia. La premiada autora Monica Brown y el aclamado ilustrador Joe Cepeda se unen para crear Éste impresionante tributo a dos de las personas mÁs influentes del siglo veinte.
From North To South/Del Norte Al Sur
José loves helping Mamá in the garden outside their home in California. But when Mamá is sent back to Mexico for not having citizenship papers, José and his Papá face an uncertain future. What will it be like to visit Mamá in Tijuana? When will she be able to come home? Award-winning children’s book author René Colato Laínez tackles the difficult and timely subject of family separation with exquisite tenderness. Joe Cepeda’s bright and engaging illustrations bring this story of hope to vivid life.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2
Five Little Gefiltes
Five little gefilte fish sneak out of their jar and explore the world, causing their poor mother great worry. Includes a note about gefilte fish and a glossary of Yiddish words.
Dybbuk: A Version
In this retelling of a Jewish legend, a girl is possessed by the spirit of the man she was destined to, but did not, marry. Sender, the richest man in town, only wants the best for his daughter, Leah. Her husband-to-be must be extremely wealthy. But when Leah and Konin, an orphaned scholar, fall in love, Sender recalls a pact he made long ago with his best friend: If one man had a daughter and the other a son the two would be married. Though Konin is the son of his beloved friend, Sender cannot bear to permit the poor scholar to wed Leah. Konin dies of a broken heart once he hears Leah has been promised to another. Konin has his revenge, though, on Leah’s wedding day when he inhabits her body and refuses to leave.
Something For Nothing
Dog lived in the noisiest part of Bialystok. All day long he heard the hubbub of the nearby marketplace, and all night long he heard the banging and clanging of workmen unloading their goods. When he could take the racket no more, Dog set off for the country to find a quieter place to live. On his first night in his new home, a gang of howling and yowling, hissing and screeching cats terrorize him, destroying his newfound peace and quiet. Inspired by a Jewish folk tale, how Dog outwits the rascally cats makes for a humorous, satisfying story, exuberantly illustrated with stunning jewel-toned paintings reminiscent of Marc Chagall’s. Afterword.
Aesop Accolades (Awards)
Something From Nothing
In this retelling of a traditional Jewish folktale, Joseph’s baby blanket is transformed into ever smaller items as he grows until there is nothing left–but then Joseph has an idea.