Conejito: A Folktale from Panama
Kindergarten-Grade 4-Based on a folktale from Panama, this lively retelling has a delightful blend of Spanish and English. MacDonald skillfully provides word meanings in context, as in this example: Conejito is told by his Mama that when he visits Tía Mónica, She will feed you cakes and cookies and every good thing-¦until you are¡Gordito! ¡Gordito! ¡Gordito! Fat! Fat! Fat! The plot skips along predictably as Conejito meets and tricks Señor Zorro (Mr. Fox), Señor Tigre (Mr. Tiger), and Señor León (Mr. Lion). Children will eagerly join in singing Conejito's song: I have a sweet old auntie,/my Tía Mónica!/And when she goes out dancing-¦/they all say 'Ooo la la!' Valério's full-color acrylic illustrations stretch across each spread, reflecting a folk-art motif that perfectly complements the story. Movement and energy are captured in the animated characters. A pronunciation guide and an author's note giving the source for both the story and song are helpful additions. This book is sure to encourage participation. It begs to be read aloud with a group.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.