Traditional Literature: Tales Our Abuelitas Told and Trickster

 Tales Our Abuelitas Told, F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Felipe Davalos, Vivi Escriva, Susan Guevara, and Leyla Torres. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Sept 2006. 128 pages, $19.99, 9780689825835. 

    Tales Our Abuelitas Told is a collection of twelve Hispanic folktales whose origins span the globe and have many roots connected to Indigenous, African, Arabic, Hebrew, and Spanish cultures. The author includes stories they heard, told, or discovered. The “Welcome” section provides a historical context to the collection and introduces the importance of cultural heritage. Campoy and Ada talk about the connections between Latin America, Spain, other European countries, and Africa causing stories to be shared and altered throughout the generations. This section also introduces the format for the collection. “After each story, we tell you a little about its origin—and in some cases about our relationship with the story—so that you may learn a bit more about the people who created that tale and the long journey it has traveled to reach you.” In other words, readers will learn about where the story originated, resources consulted, why the story was chosen and refined. The authors also include definitions of a few terms at the end of each tale. The authors researched this book well. Four Latino artists created one-five full page illustrations that match the tone for each story.  
    Tales Our Abuelitas Told is educational and entertaining. Through this collection, students in upper elementary will learn Hispanic culture, history, heritage, and even geography. Hispanic students can also use this book to learn and connect to their background. Students can also benefit from the language. Readers will find Spanish phrases throughout the stories. Some sections teach students how to begin and end a tale in a style of a traditional Hispanic storyteller. Following the introduction, the “To Begin a Story” section has Spanish phrases and their English translations. The “To End a Story” section, found at the back of the book, has Spanish and English phrases to end a tale. Students learning Spanish or English Language Learns will appreciate these translations and use them in their storytelling.

Trickster, Matt Dembicki (editor), Fulcrum Books, June 2010. 232 pages, $27.95, 9781555917241.

    In an afterword, Matt Dembicki explains that the 1998 book American Indian Trickster Tales by Alfonso Ortiz and Richard Erdoes inspired the creation of Trickster. The 1998 book was mainly composed of text with a few illustrations. Dembicki saw a space that needed to be filled. He brought together native storytellers and illustrators to compile a collection of Native American trickster tales in graphic novel form. He hopes that this first anthology of Native American trickster tales in graphic-novel format would serve “as a bridge for readers to learn more about the original people of this land and…foster a greater appreciation and understanding among all inhabitants.” Through this, students as young as upper elementary can learn about the beliefs and cultural values of indigenous tribes. 
    Native American writers and artists collaborated to create Trickster. The authors selected the artists and approved the artist’s storyboards. Each story tells a tale of a trickster type like a coyote, raven, rabbit, raccoon, dog, wolf, beaver, or wildcat. The variety of trickster animals reflects how multiple tribes existed and had their trickster tales. In some stories, the tricksters get away with their actions, some face consequences, and others are responsible for rock formations or stars in the night sky. The different art styles can also reflect the multiple tribes. Some stories are illustrated in a more realistic style, while others like "Rabbit's Choctaw Tail Tale" have a more cartoonish style. Some used muted colors, while others used bright, happy colors. Despite the graphic novel format, the narrative reads like how native elders would 
    The back matter contains background information about the authors and artists. There is also background information that provides context for the stories. However, I would have appreciated an introduction at the beginning of the book on the traditional role of a trickster. I would have preferred a note before each story that attributes a tribe to each tale.