Genre 2 - Traditional Literature Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. Selectors. 2003. PĺO PEEP! TRADITIONAL SPANISH NURSERY RHYMES. Ill. by Viví Escrivá. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0688180190

2. PLOT SUMMARY
A collection of twenty-nine Spanish folktales with English translations or close “re-creations”.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The author’s intent of this book was to “stimulate children to read” and that’s exactly what it will do. The poems are fun and whimsical and children will gravitate towards them. Because these poems are from an oral folktale background, the rhyming “bounce” to them will keep children and adults entertained. Some of them should also be easy for young readers to tackle independently.
The authors collected these rhymes and songs from all the nineteen Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. They purposely selected well known rhymes so many generations can share the book together. The authors also note the selections are personal to them because they selected rhymes that they cherished in their own childhood.
The book contains an informative author’s note, table of contents and introduction page. The author’s note and introduction should definitely be read because they explain the purpose of the book. The authors chose to create a “poetic re-creation” and not just translate the Spanish rhyme into English. Their explanation is helpful and guides the reader into deeper appreciation of the dual language rhyme sets.
“Here the Bird Laid the Egg / Aqui puso la pajarita el huevo” (pg 18-19) will be a favorite for students. The plot is simple and easy to understand. The sequence of events is laid out in a timely fashion. With the ending, “and this fat rascal gobbled it up!” kids will cheer because of the simple joke. Students will be able to relate to Escrivá’s watercolor illustrations because the faces look like they do. Like the small nest on page 19, the little details added will delight young readers.
“The Elephants / Los elefantes” (pg 32-35) involves simple actions and easily understood humor. Students will quickly grasp that elephants can’t swing from a spider’s web and that there will be some kind of consequence. The anticipation will build and students will have fun deciding what exactly happens next. Escrivá’s large illustrations will appeal to children because the elephants look playful and childlike.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Deeply rhythmic verses, compelling rhyme schemes, and words that "play trippingly on the tongue" characterize every verse. Schertle's excellent English adaptations are not literal translations but poetic re-creations. They retain the rhythm, meter, and general meaning of the originals, making the rhymes as memorable and memorizable in English as they are in Spanish.”

BOOKLIST: “Even adult readers with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish will see some of the differences, but both versions have a sweet, rhythmic simplicity that will get children singing, clapping, and perhaps making some forays into a new language.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Read along with other nursery rhyme books, like THE NEIGHBORHOOD MOTHER GOOSE by Nina Crews and compare.
* Have bilingual classes read the Spanish folktale and the “re-creation” and see if they can find the differences between the original rhyme and the “re-creation”.
* Have adults share any personal stories of using these rhymes when they were young with students.

Genre 2 - The Greatest of All: A Japanese Folktale

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric. Adaptor. 1991. THE GREATEST OF ALL: A JAPANESE FOLKTALE. Ill. by Giora Carmi. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN 0823412032

2. PLOT SUMMARY
A mouse father searches for the greatest husband for his daughter. He approaches the emperor, the sun, the clouds, the wind and a stone wall before realizing the perfect candidate was a lowly field mouse.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kimmel’s retelling of the Japanese traditional tale, THE WEDDING MOUSE, is told with kindness and understanding. The story’s simple plot revolves around a protective father, Father Mouse, seeking the best for his daughter. Many adult readers will be able to relate to that feeling of wanting only the best for their children. Kimmel says, “Because he lived in an emperor’s palace, and dined off crumbs from the emperor’s table, and dressed in silk from the emperor’s wardrobe, he thought himself a splendid mouse indeed!” Readers might be turned off by Father Mouse because he appears to be snobby and stuck up. Carmi’s excellent illustration showing Father’s fine attire and large piece of cheese are further evidence to this fact.
The personification of the sun, cloud, wind and wall are incorporated nicely into the story. Carmi’s friendly faces of these objects make the reader feel like they are kind characters. It is easy to see why Father Mouse takes their advice.
The plot involves a traditional quest when Father Mouse travels to see the various suitors. Illustrations showing Father Mouse in the plains and on the mountains help describe the long journey. An especially vivid illustration is when Father Mouse is hanging onto the branch to talk to the wind.
Very few traditional Japanese cultural elements are included in the story. Besides the mentioning of an emperor and haiku, this story could be set anywhere. More cultural elements should be added for students to have specific cultural connections with the material.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Kimmel concisely retells this pleasant if low-key tale of a self-important mouse who lives in the emperor’s palace and dresses in fine silk. Warm colors and distinctive texture mark Carmi’s illustrations, which include effective renderings of the anthropomorphic natural elements. ”

KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Carmi uses tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished, the illustrations’ muted tomato-soup borders more distracting than harmonious. Still, an acceptable setting for a good story.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Read THE WEDDING MOUSE in Yochiko Uchida’s collection of Japanese stories, THE DANCING KETTLE. This was Kimmel’s source for THE GREATEST OF ALL. Make comparisons between the two stories.
*As recommended in the author’s note, read STONECUTTER by Gerald McDermott to see more similarities and differences.

Genre 2 - Little Gold Star

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
San Souci, Robert. 2000. LITTLE GOLD STAR. Ill. by Sergio Martinez. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0688147801

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Spanish American retelling of the traditional Cinderella tale. In this version, the Virgin Mary replaces the traditional fairy godmother and the gold star replaces the glass slipper.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
San Souci writes the tale of Cinderella with a Southwestern flair. The book’s heroine, Teresa, has the traditional mean stepmother and stepsisters and is asked to do chores for the family. When Teresa meets and helps a stranger woman in blue, many of her problems are over. The woman turns out to be Blessed Mary and Teresa is rewarded for her generosity with a gold star on her forehead. The magical star helps Teresa against her mean stepfamily.
Students will enjoy making predictions about the Blessed Mary character after seeing Martinez’s initial illustration on page five. The curses that fall on the stepsisters will also be enjoyed by young students. The pictures of the stepsisters twisting their horns and hiding their donkey ears are whimsical and encourage the reader to cheer for Teresa.
Traditional magical elements are included in this version. Animals perform heroic deeds to help Teresa in her time of need. In addition, the gold star on Teresa’s forehead also performs magic. Finally, the family cat helps Don Miguel identify Teresa by talking to him.
The story also includes the traditional use of the number three. In addition to there being three stepfamily members, Teresa is also made to do three chores.
Some Hispanic cultural elements are included in the story. For example, the stepsisters wear traditional mantillas to cover their heads and the traditional ball is a fiesta for the town’s patron saint. Some lines of dialogue are also said in Spanish.
Like many traditional tales, the ending comes quickly. “Realizing that Teresa had been blessed, the woman sent Miguel a letter agreeing to the marriage,” sums up all the problems between Teresa and her stepmother. Adults might sense the abruptness in this transition but children will always cheer for Teresa.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST: “In Sergio Martinez's elegant Hispanic settings, Teresa and her beau, Don Miguel, are slender, graceful figures, comically juxtaposed against Teresa's lumpish, elaborately dressed stepmother and stepsisters, who are portrayed with exaggerated expressions of dismay or annoyance. Mary reappears to help Teresa secure her stepmother's permission to marry, and by the unalloyed happy ending, horns and hairy ears have vanished, too. Cinderella fans have to be rapid readers to keep up with the steady stream of new renditions, but this consolidation of old and new published versions mixes laughter and romance in pleasing proportion--and features an unusual (to say the least) fairy godmother.”

LIBRARY SCHOOL JOURNAL: “San Souci's telling is smooth and fluid. Martinez's lovely, luminous watercolor illustrations are a perfect match for the text. His accomplished sense of extended line gives all of his figures a romantic, elongated look, and his command of expression is exceptional. A noteworthy addition to an already impressive crop of Southwestern "Cinderella" stories.”

5. CONNECTIONS
· Share other versions of Cinderella and find similarities and differences.
· Share other picture books by San Souci, like CINDRILLON and CINDERELLA SKELETON and give opinions.
· With younger students, discuss vocabulary. For example, haughty, vain, and penance are great words to discuss.
· Students can write their own version of Cinderella and design its setting using their own cultural influences.