As a mother and ex- elementary school teacher, one of my favorite authors is Joe Hayes. And one of my favorite books is Tell Me A Cuento/Cuéntame Un Tale, a collection of four of his most well loved tales in both English and Spanish. If you are not familiar with Joe Hayes, he is the author of numerous bilingual folktales for children, and has earned a distinctive reputation as a master storyteller of southwestern tales.
In this 64 page paperback, Joe Hayes encourages children to interact with the tales through his colorful language, and teams up with illustrator Geronimo Garcia to grant vivid illustrations that brighten every page.
4 Tales in English and Spanish
The first tale, Mariposa, Mariposa is the tale of the Butterfly who sews herself a fancy new dress and attracts attention from many suitors. Written in pattern so listeners can predict what comes next, it eventually clarifies why butteflies look and behave the way they do.
The second tale, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Oh!, is similar in stylishness to an Irish tale. The elves dance and sing in the forest at night, and when the kind-hearted poor woman helps them with their song, she is rewarded. This makes the rich woman jealous and you can see where this goes. A fantastic tale for exploring the common theme of kindness vs. greed and a lovely book for music and art curriculum connections as well.
Next, No Way, José! tells the tale of a bossy rooster who wants to sing at the wedding of his Uncle Perico but he gets his substantial beak dirty eating a berry. He tries to tell others what to do but gets the same response from each one. This cumulative tale builds into a chant with each new encounter and allows all students to get involved and build language.
And finally, in The Terrible Tragadabas, we meet Small Bitty, Middle Size, and Fantastic Huge, three granddaughters who are sent to the store to buy little cakes and honey, only to find out about the Tragabadas. Reminiscent of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, this tale takes a slightly scary turn. Children absolutely like it!
And… a bonus for all you parents and teachers out there. The publisher, Cinco Puntos Press, offers free teaching assets for each of the four tales. To buy the book, go to www.sunriseimports.net/tellmeacuento.html. To download the accompanying teacher’s handbook, go to www.cincopuntos.com/teachers_guides.html.
Tell Me A Cuento: Cuentame Un Tale
Told by Joe Hayes, Illustrated by Geronimo Garcia
Recommended for 8 years and up
Sheila Hull-Summers is a ex- educator and the owner of Sunrise Imports, an e-commerce site specializing in Mexican folk art and other unique handcrafted gifts from Mexico, Central America and the U.S. Visit online at www.sunriseimports.net
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