Luis Garay

I disliked this book because of the vague writing. It is about a child, Pedrito who loses his aunt's money while he is playing outside, and he pays her back by using his own bike fund. In a few instances, I was not completely sure what the author was talking about in the story. I believe the author was trying to be culturally relevant to the Hispanic population, but for the audience of young readers, sayings like "the North" (meaning the United States) may be a little vague and may take important meaning away from the text as a whole. I also found that while being vague, the book was also a little wordy at the same time. On one page the author says "He arranged them just so," and this is vague and I wasn't sure what the author meant by "just so" because the picture did not depict this either. It was also a useless sentence, because earlier in the paragraph it was clear that Pedrito was organizing the food, this sentence was just redundant and unnecessary. I also did not enjoy the format of the book because there was a lot of empty space on many of the pages. I can understand this format because it allows the readers to focus on the words and the pictures separately. This story did not have an exciting storyline, so I think the choice of a lot empty space on a page took away the visual interest of the story. The big idea of the story is to take responsibility for your actions, which Pedrito did when he paid his aunt back with his own money.… (more)

The illustrations in this collection of creation stories/folklore are very colorful. The stories were translated from K'iche' into Latin in 1558 and then translated into Spanish by Priest Francisco Ximenez in 1701. Since the Spanish destroyed the books of the Mayan civilization, this book is an important document. Some of the stories like "The Messenger Creatures" are reminiscent of the Native American creation stories from North America. I would recommend the book as a companion piece for students in 6-12 grade.… (more)

Pedrito's fondest wish is for a bicycle, his father is away working and sending money home, and when Pedrito can prove he is "big" enough some of his father's money will be added to Pedrito's shoeshine money so he can buy a bicycle. This is a culturally authentic story (as far as I can tell) with a full emotional draw and a common experience--the decision to take self responsibility. The combination of print and cross hatching is very realistic and the decision to make the illustrations the verso of a page of text keeps the story simple and plain without lessening its charm. Excellent addition to a picture book collection and a good read aloud to all ages.… (more)

Karen Morgan (Booklist, December 1, 1996 (Vol. 93, No. 7))
In a picture-book format, this collection of 14 stories, some new, others familiar, provides readers with a sampling of traditional legends and folktales from Latin America, an area defined as beginning at the Rio Grande and extending to Tierra del Fuego. A majority of the stories are from Venezuela, Mexico, and Chile; half come from native people, and the remainder from later settlers and their descendants. Subjects of the stories range from haunted ships and witches to romance and humorous trickery. Full-page color illustrations by Luis Garay depict strong, dignified characters, but the pictures do not always seem consistent with the text: in a Chilean Indian legend, for example, people who have not yet discovered fire are pictured wearing sophisticated headgear and clothing. Sources are briefly cited and often refer to oral informants, but because the tales are so rich in detail and so culturally or regionally distinctive, more specific notes would have been welcomed. Category: Middle Readers. 1996, Douglas & McIntyre/Groundwood, $18.95. Gr. 5-8.… (more)