Pura BelpreReviews

In this poignant picture-book exploration of a young boy's sense of displacement, when his family moves from Puerto Rico to New York City, the eponymous Santiago longs for the familiar, particularly his beloved pet hen, Selina, whom he had to leave behind. Will he ever convince his skeptical classmate, Ernie, that Selina was real? And why is it so important that he do so...?

Some of the details in Santiago seemed a little dated - I have difficulty imagining a teacher today having the authority to take her class to the home of one of her students, or down to the river to play; and many young readers probably won't know what a stereoscope is - but the emotional undercurrents are as relevant as they ever were. Young immigrant children, of all backgrounds, will identify with Santiago, described by his teacher as being "in two places at once," as will any child who has moved to a new town.

The ninth book I have read by Pura Belpré - a Puerto Rican librarian and author, whose work in advancing library services to Spanish-speaking patrons, as well as in promoting the folklore of her homeland, was recognized when the Pura Belpré Award was named after her - Santiago is the first which was not a folktale. I enjoyed this portrait of a (then) contemporary Puerto Rican boy, and wish that Belpré had written more like it. The evocative illustrations by Symeon Shimin - which look to be done in watercolor - accentuate the emotional impact of the story. All in all, a lovely little title!

When Señor Lion and Señora Lioness find themselves facing hard times, the hungry couple decide to throw a party, inviting all their animal friends, including Señor and Señora Goat. But their carefully laid plans - featuring a large pit, some surreptitious pushing, and a juicy goat-meat meal - begin to go awry when thin Señor Goat arrives with his friend, Señor Dog, rather than his plump wife; and come to nothing when the two friends catch on to the scheme, and slip discreetly away. Will they be able to escape hungry Señor Lion, who pursues them...?

Originally published in Pura Belpré's The Tiger and the Rabbit and Other Tales, this Puerto Rican folktale is the kind of humorous animal adventure that young readers enjoy, although particularly sensitive children may be put off by the idea of the lions eating their "friends." Like Belpré's Oté: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale, the artwork here is done by Paul Galdone, who manages to capture the sly intentions of the leonine characters with his expressive illustrations.

A collection of eighteen folktales from Puerto Rico (three more than in the original 1944 edition), The Tiger and the Rabbit contains everything from animal stories to cautionary fairy-tales, and is illustrated by the celebrated Tomie dePaola, whose 1979 picture-book, Strega Nona, was selected as a Caldecott Honor book. His black and white etching-style artwork has an old-fashioned appeal, while Pura Belpré's stories, which often reminded me of tales I have read from other traditions, were quite engaging. Selections include:

The Tiger and the Rabbit, a trickster tale in which the clever Rabbit outwits the hungry Tiger time and again. It was interesting to note that, unlike so many other tales of this kind, the opponents end up becoming friends.

Nangato, in which a small mouse-village, led by the gentle Perez, make their new feline neighbor welcome, only to pay a high price for their naivete.

The Earrings, the story of a young woman who disregards her mother's warning about bathing in the nearby the river and, when attempting to retrieve her earrings afterward, is captured by an evil man. This tale, in which young Julia is shoved into a sack and made to sing, in order that her captor might earn money from the credulous villagers (who believe that the sack is magical), is very similar to that related in Bimwili and the Zimwi, making me wonder if the Puerto Rican variant is of African origin.

The Bed, a cumulative tale in which a growing menagerie of animals join a young boy under a creaky bed, until the bed breaks. Although it doesn't read very well on the page, I suspect that this would make an excellent selection for storyhour, with its ever-growing refrain. It can also be found in Barbara Baumgartner's Crocodile! Crocodile!: Stories Told Around the World, as The Squeaky Old Bed.

The Jurga, in which a miserly old farmer and his wife - a witch who takes the shape of a dog by day, and a bird by night - get their just desserts from a clever worker that they think to abuse.

The Wolf, the Fox, and the Jug of Honey, in which two friends stumble upon a jug of honey, and agree to share it - an understanding violated by the cunning fox, who manages to eat all of it himself. This story reminded me of a similar Scots tale, The Fox and the Wolf, found in Augusta Baker's The Talking Tree and other Stories: Fairy Tales from 15 Lands, in which the fox eats a cask of butter found by the two friends.

Juan Bobo, in which Puerto Rico's storied fool - whose misadventures and misunderstandings always come right in the end, though not through any effort of the hero's - dresses his mother's pig in fine clothing. This tale can also be found (in simplified form) in Carmen T. Bernier-Grand's Juan Bobo: Four Folktales from Puerto Rico.

La Hormiguita, a cumulative tale in which a little ant calls upon the sun to punish the snow which broke her leg, setting off a "hunt" for the most powerful entity, with each new object or force addressed explaining that there is something more powerful even than it. This tale-type can be seen in many traditions, and would make an excellent selection for reading aloud, with its expanding refrain.

The Shepherd and the Princess, in which a humble young shepherd wins the hand of a princess, by solving the king's three riddles.

Señor Billy Goat, in which an older couple, unable to roust the billy goat that is destroying their garden, turn to La Hormiguita - the little ant - for help.

Casi Lampu'a Lentemué, a tale in which young Paco, captured by the village witch, must guess the name of his captor, in order to win his freedom. This was an interesting mixture of motifs already familiar to me, through tales such as Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin.

The Gluttonous Wife, in which a poor farmer begins to suspect that his wife, who grows fatter and fatter, although she never wants to cook, is hoarding their food for herself.

The Albahaca Plant, in which a humble carpenter's youngest daughter - both beautiful and clever - engages in a battle of wits with the merry king.

The Dance of the Animals, a story that Belpré has also published on its own, in picture book format (Dance of the Animals: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale), in which a hungry lion and lioness plot to eat their goat friends.

The Three Magi, which tells of a minor misadventure of the Three Magi - the three kings who, in Christian tradition, visited the infant Christ in Bethlehem, and who, in Spanish culture, are thought to bring presents to children on the eve of Epiphany (January 6).

The Cat, the Mountain Goat, and the Fox, in which a lazy cat has all the other animals convinced that she is an invalid, and that they must provide her with food, until a clever fox reveals her trickery.

The Three Petitions, in which a young couple fail (surprise, surprise) to make wise use of the three wishes granted them.

And finally, The Three Figs, in which the humble Fernando offers his best to the king, and is richly rewarded, while the arrogant Santiago, thinking to replicate his neighbor's good fortune, gets a nasty surprise.

When the Queen's beautiful pearl necklace - presented to her by the King as a birthday gift - goes missing, there is a great hue and cry. But though the searchers look everywhere, they cannot locate it, prompting the King to offer a reward for its recovery. It falls to Juan Bobo - a simple young man from the highlands - to solve the mystery, which he inadvertently does, while strumming his guitar and listening to the nightingales...

A humorous tale from Pura Belpré's native Puerto Rico, Juan Bobo and the Queen's Necklace features the simpleton folk-hero ("bobo" means "silly" or "stupid" in Spanish) who appears in so many Latin American folk traditions. Young readers will enjoy the story, in which the hero stumbles upon his fortune almost by accident, as well as the illustrations by Christine Price. With black lines, and pink and green tones, the artwork reminded me a bit of Lois Lenski. All in all, this was a very appealing picture-book, and should be of particular interest to young folklore enthusiasts, as well as those readers (like myself) looking to familiarize themselves with Belpré's work.

Originally published in 1932, Perez and Martina marked the beginning of Pura Belpré's literary career, one that - like her work as a storyteller and children's librarian at the New York Public Library - was largely devoted to promoting the culture and folklore of her native Puerto Rico in the United States, and to improving library services for the Puerto Rican community of New York. Her pioneering role, in making the public library an institution accessible to the wider Latino community, was recognized in 1996 by the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, who named their award for excellence in children's literature the Pura Belpré Award.

Don't expect a "happily ever after" ending from this Puerto Rican folktale, which follows the pretty little cockroach Martina, as she receives and rejects numerous marriage proposals, until finally the charming mouse Perez succeeds in making her a bride. All is well with the happy newlyweds, until Martina decides to try a new recipe, and Perez - seduced by the delicious odor, and longing to have a taste - leans too far over the kettle, falls in, and is cooked to death.

Yes. The newly wedded husband is accidentally cooked to death - in his wife's kettle. This surprise ending will undoubtedly shock and distress more sensitive younger readers, so parents should be aware of it. Oddly enough, I found it somewhat amusing, if only because it was so wholly unexpected. The accompanying illustrations by Carlos Sanchez (yes, there is a spread of Perez, with his feet sticking out of the kettle) have an old-fashioned charm, with their bright colors and bold design. I think any reader who can get through the Brothers Grimm, can probably handle Perez and Martina, which I would recommend to all folklore lovers and Pura Belpré fans.

A poor man with a wife and five young children to support, Oté often took to the forests nears his home in southeastern Puerto Rico, searching for food. Warned many times by his wife to be on the lookout for the nearsighted devil, he nevertheless found himself - through a combination of hunger and carelessness - saddled with this terrible creature. Soon Oté and his family had reached the brink of starvation, as the devil used his magic to steal their food at every mealtime. Would the old wise woman beyond the hill be able to help them? Would Oté be able to follow her instructions? And what could Chiquitín - the youngest and smallest member of the family - do to help?

The first Puerto Rican to be hired by the New York Public Library, Pura Belpré was instrumental in shaping that institution's services for Spanish-speaking New Yorkers, as well as introducing - through her own writing - English-speaking children to the folklore of her native island. The Pura Belpré Award, which recognizes the work of Latino/Latina children's authors and illustrators, was named in her honor.

In this picture-book - my first by Belpré, but hopefully not my last - the author recalls a tale told to her by her grandfather, producing an exciting and vivid narrative. Paul Galdone's illustrations are colorful and attention-grabbing, although I found them a little dated. Still, Oté was an engaging book, both textually and artistically, and has left me with a desire to read more of Pura Belpré's folktale retellings.

Pura Belpré's second collection of folktales, following upon The Tiger and the Rabbit and Other Tales, Once in Puerto Rico contains sixteen stories taken from the indigenous Taino and settler Spanish traditions of the author's native island. A brief introduction outlines the history of "Boriquen" (The Land of Brave Men), originally settled by Arawak Indians from South America, then colonized by the Spaniards under Christopher Columbus - a violent, and often tragic process that eventually resulted in the mixed culture of modern-day Puerto Rico.

The selections presented here range from pourquoi tales like The Legend of the Royal Palm, which tells of the Taino singer Milomaki, whose fame aroused the jealousy of the gods, leading to his persecution at the hands of his fellow men, and his eventual transformation (as a means of escape) into the first Royal Palm; to historical legends such those recorded in the Three Tales of Old San Juan, explaining how The Chapel on Cristo Street came to be built, how The Cistern of San Cristóbal reclaimed its stone figure, and how The Rogativa saved San Juan from the invading English in 1797.

A few of these stories, like The Legend of the Hummingbird - a "Romeo and Juliet" type tale, in which a Taino girl and Carib boy fall in love, and are eventually transformed into a red flower and a hummingbird - were already known to me, through other retellings, but this was my first encounter with the majority of the tales in Once in Puerto Rico. I was fascinated by Amapola and the Butterfly, which tells of a young woman who almost comes to a terrible end when she is tricked by the forest witch - in the guise of a butterfly - into entering the dangerous caves up in the hills. The narrative concludes with the information that mothers still use this story to warn their children away from the caves, and I found myself thinking of Little Red Riding Hood, another cautionary tale meant to keep children out of danger.

Many of the tales here are set during the tumultuous early days of Spanish settlement, and while some turn out better than others, there is a terrible note of violence to them. Yuisa and Pedro Mexias, another cross-cultural love story, involves a Taino woman and Spanish man who fight together against a Carib invasion, Iviahoca concerns a Taino woman who must carry a message from Don Diego de Salazar to Don Ponce de León, in order to free her captive son, and The Legend of the Ceiba of Ponce presents the story of a group of Taino who are saved from the pursuing Spaniards by a massive Ceiba tree.

Here are marvels like The Little Blue Light, which saves a group of Franciscan friars from massacre, or The Miracle of Hormigueros, in which a young girl lost in the mountains of western Puerto Rico is saved by our Lady of Montserrate. Here is the trickster Pedro Animala, who, in Pedro Animala and the Carrao Bird, manages to convince a housewife that his bird can foretell the future, and here is hidden treasure and a restless spirit, in Pablo and the Pirate's Ghost. Finally, the selections also include Guani, a charming Taino tale in which a simple shepherd is given a flute by the Spirit of the Cave, and the humorous The Parrot Who Wouldn't Say Cataño, in which a sailor finally gets his bird to do what he wants, by giving him away.

I enjoyed Once in Puerto Rico immensely, from the historical legends of Old San Juan (I've visited San Cristóbal!) to the tales set in the highland rainforest, which reminded me of our trip to El Yunque. I also learned a little something, about the history and culture of Puerto Rico. I'm glad I requested this through inter-library loan, and look forward to reading Belpré's earlier anthology.

When Tano the farmer discovers that his maize fields have been trampled in the night, he enlists the help of his three sons in finding the culprit. The two eldest - strong Carlos and clever Pedro - imagine that it will be a simple task, but fall asleep on the job, leaving it to gentle Pío to solve the mystery. Granted three wishes by the rainbow-colored horse he discovers, Pío eventually wins the hand of the beautiful Leonor, daughter of the wealthy Don Nicanor.

This Puerto Rican folktale, recorded by the ground-breaking storyteller and children's librarian Pura Belpré - for whom the Pura Belpré Award, which recognizes the achievements of Latina/Latino children's authors and illustrators, is named - reminded me of the Russian story of Chestnut-Grey, or the Swedish The Princess and the Glass Mountain. This tale-type, in which a young man captures an enchanted horse, is assisted three times in his quest to win a beautiful princess or maiden (usually by throwing an apple onto her lap, or into a basket), appears to be quite widespread. I was happy to discover this Latin American variant, although I can't say I cared as much for the illustrations by Antonio Martorell - which had a dated, 70s "feel" to them - as I did for the narrative.

Still, this was an engaging story, and should be of interest to anyone with a love of folklore, an interest in this specific tale-type, or a desire to acquaint themselves with Belpré's work.

my all time favorite as a child

Fine condition