Golden Tales: Myths and Legends from Latin America

Golden Tales: Myths and Legends from Latin America

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. Grade 4-8?The principal strength of this collection is that it mingles traditional creation myths and ethnic folktales with stories that show the Spanish influence in the Caribbean and Mexico. The tales that come from Colombia and the areas encompassed by the Inca Empire are more traditional. An introduction gives background on the Taino, Zapotec, Muisca, and Inca civilizations. Each of the four sections, one for each group, begins with a one-page description of their histories. The type font is attractive, and the pages are open and easy to read. There are ample full-color illustrations of average quality for each story and a good map of Latin America that shows the areas each tribe inhabited. Excellent source notes and a good pronunciation guide round out the volume. It is difficult, however, to discern who the audience for this book might be. The prose tends to be plodding, sometimes even turgid. ("Silently they embraced once more, for a long moment of passion. Fully possessed by his love, she knew his heart was forever hers.") Most elementary students would be hard pressed to read the text straight through, and it does not read well aloud. This book might best be used as a research tool, or with units on native Latin American cultures in conjunction with Deborah Nourse Lattimore's Why There Is No Arguing in Heaven (HarperCollins, 1989), Jane Yolen's Encounter (Harcourt, 1992), Verna Aardeema's Borreguita and the Coyote (Knopf, 1991), or Lois Ehlert's Moon Rope/Un Lazo a la luna (Harcourt, 1992).?Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. Unable to locate an illustrated collection of the Latin American stories that she heard as a child growing up in Puerto Rico, Delacre has created a collection that will be welcomed by all who have also sought in vain for such an introductory treasury. Gathering 12 favorite stories from four native cultures (Taino, Zapotec, Muisca, and Quechua), including pourquoi tales, legends of the conquistadores, and folktales from before and after the age of Columbus, Delacre weaves in contextual introductions and historical afterwords throughout. Her retellings are done in a clear and confident voice and are accompanied by her robust, colorful oil paintings. Complete with a map of Latin America, a pronunciation guide for the Indian and Spanish words, and an extensive notes section, this impressively presented and referenced collection will inspire readers and tellers alike to further mine the rich, complex landscapes of Latin American folklore. Annie Ayres A pretentious collection, subtitled ``Myths, Legends and Folktales from Latin America,'' of stories from 13 countries and several native cultures. The varying styles of these tales as presented do not seem to bow to the seriousness of myth vs. the popular nature of legend, instead seemingly emerging from the tale's content. Thus a legend like ``Guanina'' from Puerto Rico stuns readers with all the banalities of the romance genre: ``Silently they embraced once more, for a long moment of passion. Fully possessed by his love, she knew his heart was forever hers.'' Other stories begin promisingly, and then dwindle, e.g., in ``The Laughing Skull,'' a Dominican legend, a terrifying situation is set up when a skull in a niche in a convent wall takes to chattering and moving around. The anticlimactic resolution comes when Abad climbs a ladder to put a stop to it: ``Chilling screeches emerged, screeches that would freeze the hearts of even the bravest of men. Oddly enough, Abad remained calm.'' Lesser infelicities--split infinitives--can be forgiven if a tale sweeps readers along; this collection, for all the care and research behind it and the graceful illustrations that decorate it, offers no such grounds for absolution. (maps, notes, pronunciation guide) (Folklore. 8+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Used Book in Good Condition