The Tooth Fairy Meets El Raton Perez
Kindergarten-Grade 2—When Miguelito hides his lost tooth under his pillow, he has no idea that he is setting off a power struggle between the English-speaking world's Tooth Fairy and her Spanish-speaking counterpart, El Ratón Pérez. The fairy says, "Here is my tooth!," and the mouse replies, "¡Aquí está, mi diente!" This clever tactic helps English-speaking children learn Spanish phrases, and vice versa. The conflict is resolved when the tooth collectors learn to work together, imparting a universal lesson about sharing and cooperation. Young readers may not consciously recognize this tale as a metaphor for growing up in two cultures, but the story does model how to successfully negotiate a bicultural life by celebrating both aspects of Miguelito's Mexican-American heritage. Lintern's pencil illustrations were edited in Photoshop to give them a sparkly, ethereal quality that perfectly suits this modern fairy tale. The back matter includes the origins of tooth-collecting creatures in the folklore of English and Hispanic cultures. An excellent selection for libraries serving bicultural families.—Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.