(4) K-3 Illustrated by Antonio Castro L.. Only beans grow on the poor Hayes family's farm, so they eat nothing but. When the father buys a large hambone, it's used repeatedly by the family and their neighbors to flavor their beans, and it comes in handy when Grandpa loses his teeth in the well. Caricature illustrations (somewhat garishly) play up the humor in this homey, Southwest-flavored tall tale.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Antonio Castro L.. After Joe rescues a trapped rattler, the snake follows him home. Joe's dad tries to get rid of the dangerous animal, but it keeps coming back. The ending twist may leave kids feeling let down, but the narration's tall-tale feel (though awkward at times) makes the story a suitable read-aloud. The earth-toned, realistic illustrations emphasize the beauty of the Southwestern desert.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Antonio Castro L.. Hayes's latest collection of bilingual folktales drawn from the Hispanic New Mexico oral tradition provides refreshing depth and humor. Brief source notes expand on the history of each of the ten tales and add social/historical context. Clean, unencumbered prose draws attention to the structure and rhythm of the stories, which are best read aloud. Amusing illustrations face the start of each entry.

Reviewer: Nina Lindsay | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2012

(4) K-3 Stepping Stone True Stories series. Illustrated by Antonio Castro. The monks of the Saint Bernard monastery in Switzerland train dogs to rescue lost and trapped travelers. In this simple text, young Werner, who helps out at the monastery, helps train Barry, a determined rescue dog. Though the abridged easy-reader text can be jumpy ("Two years later...Barry died of old age"), Barry's tale is inspiring. Unassuming realistic illustrations depict the events.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Antonio Castro L.. Joe is a serious gum chewer. His teacher and his mother are disgusted by his habit. It saves his life, however, when he steps on a rattlesnake who, in lunging, lands himself a mouthful of the chewing gum Joe has in his pocket. This tall tale takes a little too long to get going, and the dynamic illustrations may upset ophidiophobes.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Antonio Castro L.. This bilingual edition of Hayes's classic collection of folktales from New Mexico is a gift to librarians and storytellers. The only downside is that the format of alternating Spanish and English paragraphs in the text is a bit disconcerting. Facing pages, with English on one side and Spanish on the other, would have been better. Source notes on all the tales are included.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham