One Little Bit Of Green

In tales of fairy there is always magic.  It presents itself in varying degrees.  These signs of enchantment are woven so adeptly into the main narrative, captivating readers; we suspend belief and accept them as truth.  Anything seems possible.

In most of these stories royalty figures prominently.  The personalities of those in power can range from wise and knowing to downright evil.  La Princesa and the Pea (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, September 5, 2017) written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal presents us with a queen going to the extreme to make sure the quintessential bride is found for her son.  Shifting the setting to Peru opens a door into the beauty of another culture and the opportunity for a marvelous twist on the original Hans Christian Andersen story.

There once was a prince who wanted a wife.
But not any nina would do in his life.

His mother was making it difficult and he was lonely.  One day a young woman on her way to her castle asked if she could stay at the prince's palace.  It was love at first sight!  The prince knew he had found his lifelong companion.

The queen scurried to the garden, seeking a pea and scheming of a way to prove the young woman's worth.  She ordered twenty mattresses brought to the guest's bedroom.  They were all shapes and sizes.  The pea was placed on the bottom of the stack.  (While the workers labored this meddling monarch lounged and munched on candy.)

Soon the guest was left in her room.  The prince was all snug in his bed, too.  The queen was confident the girl would fail the test.  The prince was confident she would pass the test.

At breakfast the next morning the guest was not herself from lack of sleep.  (She must be a real princess to feel a pea through twenty mattresses deep.)  An overjoyed prince and his equally happy princess exchanged their wedding vows.  The queen reluctantly contributed to the merry marriage day, none the wiser.  Love finds a way to win.


Readers are attracted to a melody made by rhyming couplets.  When words in another language, Spanish, replace the English text it adds another layer to that melody increasing its richness.  Susan Middleton Elya elevates this classic tale using those two writing techniques.

We are transported to another world full of treasured tradition.  Small changes, and one big one, along with the conversations between the characters make this version one to remember.  Here is a sample passage.

The prince said "Come in," but his mother, la reina, 
decided to test her.  Would this girl be buena?

Mama sneakd away
to the royal jardin
and found a small pea
that was fit for a queen.


One of the first things readers notice when looking at the opened dust jacket (I am working with an F & G.) is the array of colors and patterns on the mattresses and the clothing worn by the princess on the front, to the right.  They will also wonder about the happy look on the face of the princess in contrast to the scowling cat.  To the left, on the back, on a warm brown background with woven patterns from featured textiles, we see a scene from the book when the princess first asks to stay the night at the castle.  As on the front we see a distinction between the expressions on the couple's faces and the grumpy gaze the queen is giving the girl.

Readers will begin to wonder about the presence of guinea pigs beginning on the title page.  Juana Martinez-Neal starts to leave clues relative to the large twist in this variation.  With a page turn a breathtaking double-page picture gives us a panoramic view of golden rolling hills with a river winding through a valley.  Sheep and goats are grazing.  A llama carrying a load of wool stands near the princess on her donkey as she looks into the distance.  The dedication and glossary of thirty-seven Spanish words are placed here.

All of the illustrations rendered with acrylic, colored pencils and graphite on handmade textured paper span across two pages.  The heavier, matte-finished paper for the pages is ideal for the soft shading, delicate lines and intricate details made by Juana Martinez-Neal.  Humor is replete in the looks on the guinea pigs' faces.  Actually you need to look at all the faces of the people.  They tell little stories of their own.  Evidence of the area, Peru, in which this story is set, is seen in the marvelous woven fabrics, the looms, balls of yarn, and wool hanging on lines.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when the queen realizes the princess has passed the test.  This takes place in the kitchen.  To the right three large pans are hanging on the wall.  To the left we zoom in on the queen, grouchy frown on her face.  Her long single eyebrow matches her expression.  Covering her folded arms and shoulders is a hand-woven cape.  The hat she always wears has become a resting place for her cat, who is also looking disgruntled.  Safety pins are attached to the hat in no particular order.  The queen and the cat fill the entire page with a portion bleeding over the gutter.  They look so cranky you can't help but smile and cheer for the lucky bride and groom.


This beautiful variation, La Princesa and the Pea written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, is my favorite version of this story.  These two collaborators have turned this tale into one to be cherished.  You will want to make room on your professional and personal bookshelves for this title.

To learn more about Susan Middleton Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Juana Martinez-Neal also maintains a blog linked to her name.  You can view more images from the title there.  At the publisher's website you can view the title page.

El Hermoso Libro De Rimas

Nursery rhymes with their short phrases and spirited cadences become part of a child's language and literature foundation sometimes before they are even born.  The reading, reciting and singing of these poetic pieces span generations.  All you need to do is begin one of the more popular titles and everyone, regardless of their age, will join in.

Many nursery rhymes are a reflection of the culture and historical time period in which they originated.  One of the better known collections of nursery rhymes are those bearing the name of Mother Goose.  La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Ninos (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, July 19, 2016) written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal is a charming bilingual blend and interpretation of eighteen of those poems.

Maria Had a Little Oveja
Maria had a little oveja.
Its lana was white as snow.
And everywhere that Maria went,
la oveja was sure to go. ...

In Baa, Baa, Black Oveja the words are changed to create a more familial setting for young readers but keep the same beat.  One bag of wool is given to my sister and my mother (madre) and the third is shared by my brother and my father (padre).  The theme of Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater is abbreviated but works splendidly.  His wife is able to use her artistic talents matching casita and bonita.

Little Miss Amarilla (Little Miss Muffet) and Young Juan Ramon (Little Jack Horner) have new twists when it comes to food selections; beans and rice, guacamole, tomato and beans.  Monday's Child names the days in Spanish but the final line gives a nod to an occupation which could lead to further discussion.

But the child that is born on domingo day
will be un toreador. !Ole!

A rhythmic rendition of One Potato, Dos Potatoes is created by substituting Spanish for the numbers in the first two lines and using Spanish entirely for the final two phrases.

In Old Mother Hubbard the dog, while still going without a treat or meal, does receive something special.  What Are Las Ninas (Little Girls) Made Of? and What Are Los Ninos (Little Boys) Made Of? are a lighthearted look at these rhymes with the slight changes making them absolutely perfect.  Readers will surely giggle at the antics of the dish in Hey, Diddle, Diddle.  

Moving toward the close of day we lift our eyes to the sky.  A star will still twinkle like un diamante.  And la luna will still see you as you gaze at her glowing, growing shapes.


Adeptly Susan Middleton Elya places Spanish for English.  Her gift is in knowing when to substitute one for the other without losing the cadence of the original rhyme.  When the words are changed they ring culturally true.  When Elya rewrites the poem creating a new rhyme, the bones of the first still remain.  Here is an entire rhyme.

What Are Las Ninas Made Of?
What are las ninas made of?
What are las ninas made of?
Azucar and flores
and all los colores.
That's what las ninas are made of! 


When you open the dust jacket for this title it sings of shared moments; it calls out to readers asking them to speak the words within aloud.  The charming scene of La Madre Goose happily walking with the laughing children on her back is a prelude to delight.  To the left, on the back, continuing with the yellow background bordered in delicate branches are small pictures of el gato and the fiddle, three little gatitos and baa, baa, black oveja.

On the book case colored in a pale sage green with the branches framing the edges in white a child sits cozily on a crescent moon on the front. They are clothed in striped pajamas wearing a wreath of branches and holding a stuffed toy cow.  You already want to be a part of the world you know you will find inside this book.  The matching opening and closing endpapers in a dusty teal hue with the palest similar shade are thirty etched images with labels in Spanish.  Some of them have more than one portion labeled.

Rendered in acrylics, colored pencils and graphite on handmade textured paper the exquisite illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, covering either a single page or two, are brimming with warmth and merriment.  Readers will pause at each page turn to enjoy her fine-lined tender details. The facial expression on all the characters will have you wanting to reach out and hug them all.  Her visuals extend the rhyme.

In This Little Cerdo Went to Market a little girl is chatting with a pig sitting next to her.  On the wall she has drawn all the parts of the poem in white chalk.  Mice can be seen laughing after they've taken the little kittens' mittens and then they are throwing them back for the second portion of the rhyme.  The Itsy Aranita is wearing a red and white polka-dot dress, eight white boots and carrying an umbrella, wondering if the sun will stay out.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the rhyme One Potato, Dos Potatoes.  Spanning two pages the scene unfolds in a garden.  Along the edges of the garden are dainty purple flowers with yellow centers.  On the right side is a bag full of potatoes, labeled papas.  Standing on top is a rabbit holding a potato to be placed in the bag.  Next to the bag is another rabbit watching a third rabbit on the left.  This bunny is handing a potato from a row to a little girl.  She is wearing polka-dot tights, a jumper and a yellow and orange striped shirt.  In her hair are some of those purple flowers.


La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Ninos written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal is a wonderful addition to the children's literature realm.  It will have appeal for both English and Spanish speaking readers creating connections between cultures.  In the front of the book there is an extensive glossary of the Spanish words with their English translations.  You will want to include this title in your personal and professional nursery rhyme collections.

To discover more about Susan Middle Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal and their work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  At Juana Martinez-Neal's site you can view several interior images from this title.  She also has a link to a blog she maintains.  Both Susan Middle Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal have accounts on Twitter at @susanpolkadot and @juanamartinez respectively.

Focus On Folklore

A study of folklore reveals stories to be the lifeblood of a particular culture.   While recurring motifs and archetypes found in these tales may bind peoples around the globe together, the specifics are a direct reflection of their origin.  The belief system of the people is woven into their stories.

This is why I have been a diligent advocate of the use of folk and fairy tales in an educational setting.  They are a bridge to understanding people; with understanding compassion replaces fear.  In support of the We Need Diverse Books campaign my final 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge (hosted by educator Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy) post will feature three titles.


Noted Native American, Debbie Reese, tribally enrolled at Nambe Pueblo in northern New Mexico, blogs at American Indians in Children's Literature.  One of the titles she reviewed and selected for her AICL's  Best Books of 2014 is Chukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache: A Trickster Tale (Cinco Puntos Press, June 24, 2014) told by Greg Rodgers with illustrations by Leslie Stall Widener.  Rabbit's healthy appetite for good food makes him regret several choices.

Down here in Choctaw Country most folks'll tell you that Chukfi Rabbit is lay-zee. And then they'll say, "And watch your food when Chukfi Rabbit is around.  Blink once and it'll all be gone."

An everybody-work-together day has recently been announced.  Ms. Shukata Possum needs a new house.  Chula Fox, Nita Bear, Luksi Turtle and Kinta Beaver are all going to help.  When Ms. Shukata Possum asks Chukfi Rabbit if he can come, he first replies he will be busy on that day (even though the day has not been mentioned yet).  When she happens to comment on all the food she is making, especially the homemade butter, he suddenly remembers the day is open.

All day long the members of the helpful crew work together.  Each time Chukfi Rabbit is asked to join them, he calls out from behind a pile of rocks saying he is sick.  What he is really doing is discovering the pot of homemade butter left in the stream to cool.  Lick by lick, paw scoop by paw scoop, he consumes every last creamy bit of it.

When Chukfi Rabbit finally announces his wellness, the sun is nearly setting and the house is done.  Imagine that!  Settling down to the meal all are surprised to find the butter pot empty.  Everyone denies being the one to eat it.

In another act of trickery Chukfi Rabbit manages to draw attention to Nita Bear as being the butter-consuming thief.  In the end bodily functions reveal the truth.  You might say a roll and the river play a final part in this everybody-work-together day.  Did Chukfi Rabbit learn his lesson?  Another tale at another time will tell.


Greg Rodgers definitely brings his gift as a storyteller to this narrative.  He welcomes us to the story with the introduction, blending together cultures by using both the Choctaw and English names for his characters.  A mix of narration and dialogue expand our knowledge of individual personalities; especially of the trickster Chukfi Rabbit.

Using repetition of verbs he adds to the cadence he has already created.  A sense of humor is noticeable in the questions asked of Chukfi Rabbit and his replies.  Chula Fox is asking about his health; Chukfi Rabbit is replying in reference to the condition of the butter pot.  Here is another passage from the book.

When the working started, Kinta did the saw-saw-sawing.  Chula did the dig-dig-digging for the corner posts.  Ms. Shukata did the sweep-sweep-sweeping while Nita Bear and Luksi Turtle did the ham-ham-hammering. Since they didn't really have hammers back in those days, Luksi kindly agreed to be the hammer.  And Rabbit?  Well, as usual, Chukfi had disappeared.


Spread across the matching dust jacket and book case is an illustration taken from the interior of the book.  Rabbit is reaching for the butter pot as Fox, on the other side of the rocks, is calling out his name.  All of the double-page full color illustrations throughout done by Leslie Stall Widener wrap around the text.

These pictures look to be rendered in a medium she is said to use, ink, watercolor and pastels.  There is gentleness, softness, in the settings, facial features, and details.  Native cultural designs are mirrored in the animals' clothing.

One of my favorite pictures is when all the animals are gathered around the food table, after discovering the missing butter.  They have decided to eat all the food regardless of its absence.  Rabbit is looking less than eager to eat, his stomach full of butter.

A note at the beginning of this book further informs readers about the story.  Links are embedded in both the author's and illustrator's names allowing you to gather more information about each of them.  Sadly Greg Rodgers passed away this month at a young age.


My second selection, recommended in The Guardian The best children's books for Christmas, is based upon an old Chinese folktale.  The Dinner That Cooked Itself (Flying Eye Books, December 16, 2014) is written by debut picture book author, J. (Jennifer) C. Hsyu with illustrations by Kenard Pak.  Rewards for a life well-lived can come to one by mysterious means.

Long ago in China there lived an honest, respectful and hard-working man named Tuan.  As a child he had lost his parents and his kind neighbors Old Lin and Madame Lin had raised him instead.

In time Tuan left the couple to make a life for himself, living in another home, working in another field.  He found living alone to be lonely and longed for a wife.  Old Lin and Madame Lin sought the services of a matchmaker.

Three times the matchmaker tried to find him the right wife but either their birth animals, the characters contained in their names or their economic status were not compatible.  Tuan continued to work hard as a clerk in the magistrate's court during the day and in his field until dusk.  One evening as the moon was rising a large stone attracted his attention.

On closer inspection he discovered the stone was the biggest snail he had ever seen.  Believing this to be a sign of good fortune, he took it home placing it inside a large jar, feeding it cabbage leaves from his garden.  When he returned from work the next evening, Tuan is surprised by what he saw in his home.

A hot prepared meal was sitting on his table.  He thought Madame Linn must have done it.  She did not.  On two more nights increasingly delicious meals were prepared for him but no one claimed to have made them.  Tuan was determined to discover this kind person.  An altered schedule revealed an astonishing truth bestowed upon a man who had caught the attention of the Lord of Heaven.


The writing of author J. C. Hsyu makes us feel as though we have gone back in time to the source of the story, weaving customs and values into the telling. We learn of the importance of the Chinese zodiac, the basic elements such as earth, fire or wood, social hierarchy and beliefs in heavenly signs and beings.  In describing the meals set on his table for several of the evenings we are given insight into foods eaten in China.  Here is another sample passage.

First the matchmaker suggested the farmer's beautiful daughter.  But she had been born in the Year of the Tiger, and Tuan had been born in the Year of the Dog.  With a cat and a dog fighting for room under such a small roof there would never be peace.

A linen-like textured book case provides the background for Kenard Pak's signature artwork.  The front featuring one of the meals looks good enough to grace the cover of a cookbook.  On the back is a soft mountainous landscape with a tree, a tiger, a dog and a rabbit in the foreground.  The animals, all in a row, are looking to the right.  A lush landscape in greens, browns and black graces the opening and closing endpapers with Tuan's tiny home in the lower right hand corner. It appears to be done in watercolor.

Muted colors, in earth tones, enhance the narrative of J. C. Hsyu, as if we are reading some ancient scroll.  Shifts in perspective elevate the emotions felt by Tuan connecting readers further with his story.  Throughout the images, ranging in size from double to single page pictures, Pak has placed Chinese characters as if brushed by a calligrapher.

One of my favorite pictures is of the scholar's daughter kneeling on her home's porch practicing her calligraphy as Tuan walks to work in the distance.  Three characters have been added to the rabbit in a flame and the nearby dog, each a symbol of the compatibility of the two.  Wealth is the only barrier.  In this illustration, as in many others, readers will feel a sense of peace.

Two pages of explanatory information about Chinese characters are included at the end of the title.  For more information about Kenard Pak please follow the link embedded in his name.  It will take you to his website, offering links to his blog, Tumblr and Facebook pages.  This link is to the publisher's website.  There you can see many pages from this title.  Here is an informative interview of Kenard Pak at Fishink.





On December 3, 2014 Roger Sutton, editor in chief of The Horn Book magazine announced the 2014 Fanfare selections.  Included on the list is Little Roja Riding Hood (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group, April 10, 2014) written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Susan Guevara.  This may be one of the snazziest versions of this fairy tale yet.

There once was a nina who lived near the woods.  She liked to wear colorful capas with hoods.  

Her mother, watching soap operas in the kitchen, calls to her.  She asks Roja to take some very hot soup to her Grandmother who has a bad cough.  She warns her of dangers in the woods.

Hopping on her ATV Roja travels through the forest hearing a voice calling to her.  A wolf, hidden in the hollow of a tree, reveals himself.  He craftily recommends she stop to pick flowers for her grandmother.

Putting down her basket with the pot of soup and taking off her cape, Roja begins to gather a bouquet.  In a blink the wolf dons Roja's cape and sets off through the woods to Grandmother's house.  Of course Grandmother realizes Roja is simply not herself.

Through a series of oh-so-familiar questions and answers Grandmother quickly assesses her situation looking for a way to protect herself.  At the same time Roja arrives peeking in the window and noticing the trouble.  Grandmother and granddaughter act together to foil the wolf's dinner plans.  The value of a good pot of soup is priceless.


Readers are going to relish the way the words in English and Spanish written by Susan Middleton Elya roll off their tongues.  Reading this aloud is a total joy.  At the end of every two lines Elya has placed a rhyming word bringing a musical beat to the narrative.

The addition of more modern elements, soap operas, ATV and a security system, bring this traditional tale into the here and now.  All three of the women, Roja, her mother and grandmother, are strong characters, ready to support and care for one another.  Here is another sample passage.


Then Roja walked up with her lovely bouquet.
Somewhere she'd misplaced her capa that day.

She peeked in the window and saw her red hood,
and inside it, Lobo.  !Caramba! Not good!


There is no doubt about the meaning of roja in the title of this book as Susan Guevara portrays illustrations on her matching dust jacket and book case framed in red scroll work.  Roja's wolf enemy is skulking through the woods on his way to see Grandmother on the front.  On the back in an oval the fearless Roja is riding her ATV to Grandmother's house.  The same bright color decorates the opening and closing endpapers.

Except for the title and final pages all of the illustrations cover two pages.  Rendered in watercolor, ink and gouache they vividly heighten the spirited story. Marvelous details will have readers lingering over every single page.  In Roja's bedroom books of fairy tales are stacked or placed in a basket.  The three blind mice follow her everywhere as does her cat.  Careful viewers will see symbols of love in the steam coming from the soup.

The forest discloses even more elements.  Magpies speak words of warning on ribbons coming from their beaks.  All of the flowers set among flora of the southwest have watchful eyes.  Who are those two little devilish beings who fly along with the wolf?  No page is without the touch of Susan Guevara's artwork.

One of my favorite illustrations is when we first see the wolf lurking in the tree hollow, skull hanging around his neck, kerchief tied on his head.  Roja is traveling on her ATV with her cat in front, the basket and the three blind mice passengers on the back.  Her head is turned listening.  The magpies are calling out care !Cuidado! in Spanish.


Prior to the beginning of the narrative a two-page glossary defines the Spanish words used in the story.  Please follow the links embedded in Susan Middleton Elya's and Susan Guevara's names to access their websites. At TeachingBooks.net you will find wonderful resources about both the author, illustrator and a guide for using folklore in the classroom including this title and others developed by Penguin Young Readers Group.


Each of these books, Chukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache: A Trickster Tale, The Dinner That Cooked Itself and Little Roja Riding Hood are excellent titles which should find a home on all professional bookshelves in classrooms and libraries.  For parents I highly recommend them for use in the home to further expand children's understanding of other cultures.  I extend my gratitude to the authors, illustrators, and publishers for bringing them into the children's literature world.