Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection [Hardcover]

Alma Flor Ada (Author), F. Isabel Campoy (Author), Felipe Davalos (Illustrator), Susan Guevara (Illustrator), Leyla Torres (Illustrator), Vivi Escriva (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006 | Age Level: 5 and up

Once upon a time, in a land far away...

These stories have journeyed far -- over mountains, deserts, and oceans -- carried by wind, passed on to us by our ancestors. Now they have found their way to you.

A sly fox, a bird of a thousand colors, a magical set of bagpipes, and an audacious young girl...A mixture of popular tales and literary lore, this anthology celebrates Hispanic culture and its many roots -- Indigenous, African, Arab, Hebrew, and Spanish.

F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada have retold twelve beloved stories that embody the lively spirit and the rich heritage of Latino people.

The work of four leasing Latino artists and illustrators highlights this unforgettable collection.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up–The introduction to this delightful collection explains clearly how stories develop and change over time; in fact, the two storytellers heard most of these amusing tales when they were children and have retold them many times since in their own unique styles. Each retelling is accompanied by a brief description of its origin. Included are tales about dancing goats, a turtle that outwits a deer, and a beetle that declares war on a cow; all of the selections are peppered with energetic dialogue and witty detail. Children will relish their humor, especially if read aloud, and teens will also enjoy this lively presentation. Traditional story beginnings and endings are provided in Spanish and translated into English, including one foreboding opening: In a land where you will go but from where you will never return. Four Latino artists provide an interesting variety of illustration. Featured images include a large goat head in a vegetable garden, a large farmer on a very small burro, and a wolf and fox all decked out in finery dancing together. The last page provides information about the authors and illustrators. Many libraries may already have Lucia M. Gonzalezs Señor Cats Romance (Scholastic, 2001), but only one tale is common to both collections. Make room on your shelves for this excellent book.–Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The long chatty notes are as interesting as the 12 folktales in this anthology of stories retold by Ada and Campoy and illustrated by well-known Latino artists. The authors celebrate Hispanic culture and its many roots--indigenous, African, Spanish, Arab, Hebrew--assembling tales from as far afield as Spain and Idaho, and showing how the tales have transformed and influenced one another, and even how Ada and Campoy have changed them. The folklore universals are here: the kid who defeats his mean older brothers; the huge monster routed by an ant; and more. In "Blancaflor," the evil king's daughter and the young prince fulfill three tasks together and prove the power of love. The spacious book design will work well for both independent reading and reading aloud, and each story is illustrated with one or more full-page pictures in styles that match the stories--from busy and filled to bursting to light and airy. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689825838
• ISBN-13: 978-0689825835
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you teach Hispanic students, you MUST have this book for read alouds, September 25, 2008

By 

Elizabeth F. Williams "Sunny Williams, ESL te... (Greensboro, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection (Hardcover)

What a better way to capture the full attention of your Hispanic students during a read aloud? This book is full of amazing stories that build on their background knowledge and can be used to further teach comprehension strategies or simply have them enjoy and connect to read alouds.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children's Stories with Multicultural Roots, December 11, 2006

By 

Daniel Olivas (West Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection (Hardcover)

"Tales Our Abuelitas Told / Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas" by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $19.95 hardcover) has been released in separate English and Spanish editions. The authors tell us that the stories included in this anthology of Hispanic folk tales not only have Spanish roots but also possess elements that can be traced to other people because Spain has been a "cultural crossroads throughout history." Thus, we are told that there are influences from the Phoenicians, Jews, Greeks, Basques, Celts and others. At the end of each tale, the authors give a little historical context. The stories themselves are entertaining and, at times, offer lessons on how we should treat others and conduct ourselves in this thing we call life. [This review first appeared in the El Paso Times.]

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long ago there were only stories, January 17, 2008

By 

Linda Austin "Moonbridge" (USA Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection (Hardcover)

Colorful illustrations light up these old multicultural stories, many from Spain which was influenced by sailors bringing songs and stories from other lands, as explained in the wonderful introduction to this book that tells how geography and history mix together to produce culture. Enjoy the bits of Spanish language thrown in to fun stories like "Martina and Raton Perez" and the war between a beetle and Dona Vaca Blanca y Negra (the black and white cow). Each story is followed by a short explanation of its origin. A fine choice for elementary school libraries.