Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale
by Carmen Agra Deedy (Author) Michael Austin (Illustrator)
You want me to do what? Martina gasps.
At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela's unorthodox suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails the Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love. Soon, only the gardener Pérez, a tiny brown mouse, is left. But what will happen when Martina offers him café cubano?
After reading this sweet and witty retelling of the Cuban folktale, you'll never look at a cockroach the same way again.
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School Library Journal
The lovely Martina, ready to marry, follows her grandmother's peculiar advice-to spill coffee on her suitors' shoes and watch their reactions. The rooster proves too cocky, the pig too boorish, and the lizard too cold-blooded. Where does an attractive young cockroach turn next? To Perez, the mouse, whose unusual response wins Martina's affection. Color-drenched paintings transport readers to the tropics as Deedy, a consummate storyteller, brings out all the clever humor, in both English and Spanish, with unique voices for each hilarious creature in this 2009 Odyssey Honor title. Standard: Students will be able to recognize various folk tales and the cultures they represent. Learning Activity: Students can practice vocabulary words from the story in both English and Spanish and be able to define and use each word in a sentence.
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
JUV002140 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Insects, Spiders, etc.
JUV012020 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Country & Ethnic - General
