Stories of Mexico's Independence Days and Other Bilingual Children's Fables (English and Spanish Edition)
Grade 2-4–This collection of short stories has old-fashioned messages and a quaintly moralistic style. The first two recount episodes of Mexican history: Sixteen (Mexicos Independence Day) and The Little General (Cinco de Mayo). Both tales are recast to include a heroic child protagonist and thus are more likely to appeal to the target audience. The other four are fables featuring animals. In A Horse Called 'Miracle, a boy who yearns mightily for a horse of his own, despite his familys humble circumstances, gets his wish. Despite a few typos, the Spanish translations are well done. The settings and descriptions are evocative. Each story is presented first in English and then in Spanish, ending with a list of suggested activities and discussion questions. Although the selections are simple and appropriate to share with younger children, the text may be difficult in either language for newly independent readers. This volume would work best in a classroom setting or for guided reading.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.