(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Vicki Trego Hill. American Southwest storyteller Hayes retells ten folktales (five new and five from the original 1994 edition) with straightforward, often funny text in both English and Spanish. In these tales, women's cunning saves the day from people with unsavory intentions or unfortunate habits. Soft, realistic black-and-white illustrations, some new and some reused from the previous edition, open the stories. Back matter includes notes about the origins of each tale.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(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

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia. Sisters Rosa and Blanca want to share vegetables from their gardens with each other, but miscommunication leads to a humorous mix-up that only Mamá can fix. Told with engaging, comfortably repetitive prose in side-by-side English and Spanish (containing minor punctuation errors), this story about familial love is warmhearted. Valencia's colorful illustrations convey homey environments, though characters' expressions are sometimes stiff.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(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 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) K-3 Illustrated by Vicki Trego Hill & Mona Pennypacker. Despite the fact that La Llorona involves a mother who, after she is betrayed by her husband, drowns her children, it remains a popular Hispanic tale. Hayes retells the story in a pedestrian fashion in both English and Spanish. This edition features some new illustrations; the art is occasionally marred by distracting crosshatching. An afterword provides background information.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) 4-6 In this immediate, first-person story of the urban-legend variety, Elena Padilla meets a ghost-girl, who asks for Elena's help in righting a wrong she had committed while alive. English and Spanish texts are presented in alternating paragraphs on the well-designed pages, and the format will encourage reluctant readers while incidentally increasing suspense. This is a good choice for libraries where scary stories are popular.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gloria Osuna Perez & Lucia Angela Perez. In this bilingual Cinderella tale coming from the Hispanic tradition of New Mexico, Arcía is mistreated by her stepsisters after her father marries a duplicitous widow. But her kindness is rewarded with a golden star on her forehead--her jealous stepsisters receive instead a donkey's ear and a cow's horn--and Arcía wins the prince's heart. The earthy illustrations of the Latino characters glow with a serene dignity.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza