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135 pp.
| Cinco
| January, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-947627-00-0$19.95
|
PaperISBN 978-1-947627-01-7$12.95 New ed. (1994)
(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
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Jonathan Nelson.
In Diné (Navajo) culture, the First Laugh Ceremony "expresses the parents' hope that their child will always be friendly, kind, and caring." This story about a baby growing up in the city but with grandparents on the Navajo Nation offers a not-often-seen glimpse of contemporary Native American life. Pencil, ballpoint-pen, and Photoshop illustrations contrast urban and rural living. Appended notes include other traditional baby celebrations.
(4)
4-6
Fact Finders: World Explorers series.
These broad introductions to early European exploration of North America simply if blandly recount Coronado's fruitless search for wealth and the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola and La Salle's journey from the St. Lawrence River to the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico. Maps, illustrations, and sidebars accompany the third- and fourth-grade-level texts. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: World Explorers titles: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Sieur de La Salle.
(3)
4-6
Primary Source Explorers series.
These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.
32 pp.
| Boyds
| September, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59078-758-8$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Dominic Catalano.
Old Armadillo waits cautiously inside his home while trick-or-treaters Roadrunner, Peccary, Coyote, etc., gather outside. Suspense builds as the narration, alternating between the inside and outside action, reveals that Old Armadillo has a scary surprise for his friends. The Southwest setting is captured within the muted pastels and the (wordy) text, sprinkled with Spanish vocabulary. Glos.
40 pp.
| Cavendish
| March, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7614-5467-0$17.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Martha Avilés.
Lolo wants attention on the day of her sister Eva's quinceañera. When their dog, Gobi, steals Eva's sash, Lolo gets noticed, first for letting Gobi escape, but then for saving the day. Though the story is slight, the book effectively integrates specificity of cultural celebration with the universal childhood need for attention. The round-edged acrylic and liquid watercolor illustrations are full of detail.
32 pp.
| Salina
| July, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-1-893354-92-0$17.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Johnson Yazzie.
Cinnibah sets out to have her mother's metate (grinding stone) repaired. Along the way, she meets the moccasin maker and potter, who help her find the stone cutter. Though wordy, this bilingual story, in English and Navajo, has warmth. The accompanying illustrations highlight the Southwest's earthy clay tones.
106 pp.
| Chelsea
| January, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-8160-6442-7$35.00
(4)
4-6
Latino-American History series.
This series provides a general overview of Latino American history, with each book sketching out significant events over a particular period of time. The volumes are accessibly written, though information about notable figures is unevenly presented. "Fast Fact" boxes, sidebars, maps, and captioned archival reproductions and photographs enhance the books' design and extend the main text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Latino-American History titles: The Spanish Conquest of America, Fighting for American Values, Struggling to Become American, Spanish Settlement in North America, Creating a New Future, and Independence for Latino America.
116 pp.
| Chelsea
| May, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7910-9332-0$30.00
(4)
YA
Colonial Settlements in America series.
Each volume describes the founding and early years of a colonial settlement, three that were Spanish in origin and one (New Amsterdam) that was Dutch. All the requisite supporting materials are present: maps, reproductions, informative captions, and some especially engaging sidebar-style essays. The books require patient, determined readers who are capable of absorbing sentences packed with highly specific details. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Colonial Settlements in America titles: New Amsterdam, Santa Fe, St. Augustine, and Yerba Buena.
106 pp.
| Chelsea
| December, 2006
|
LibraryISBN 0-8160-6440-7$35.00
(4)
4-6
Latino-American History series.
This series provides a general overview of Latino American history, with each book sketching out significant events over a particular period of time. The volumes are accessibly written, though information about notable figures is unevenly presented. "Fast Fact" boxes, sidebars, maps, and captioned archival reproductions and photographs enhance the books' design and extend the main text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Latino-American History titles: The Spanish Conquest of America, Fighting for American Values, Struggling to Become American, Spanish Settlement in North America, Creating a New Future, and Independence for Latino America.
96 pp.
| Benchmark
| September, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-1612-9$29.93
(4)
4-6
Great Explorations series.
Six explorers--including three Spanish conquistadors--are profiled alongside the lands and peoples they discovered and subjugated. Written in a colloquial style, several of the titles skate over the effects the Europeans' conquests had on the native populations, but for the most part these books are thorough. All six titles contain good-quality reproductions. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Great Explorations titles: Vasco da Gama, Zebulon Pike, Samuel de Champlain, Francisco Pizarro, Juan Ponce de León, and Vasco Nuñez de Balboa.
32 pp.
| Cinco
| November, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-938317-86-5$16.95 New ed. (1984)
(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.
48 pp.
| Mitchell
| December, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 1-58415-196-X$$19.95
(3)
4-6
Latinos in American History series.
This biography of Mexican explorer Anza, who helped develop a land route between Mexico and California and became governor of New Mexico, is dramatic in the telling. Bankston supplies hypothetical impressions ("As a youngster, Juan must have heard countless stories...") for added dimension. A map and color reproductions appear throughout. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Gareth
| September, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-8368-3704-5$$23.93
(4)
4-6
Native American Peoples series.
The titles in this series give readers an introduction to a Native American tribe, beginning with origins, history, and traditional lifestyle and ending with contemporary life. The text of each is quite brief and full of generalizations, giving readers only a cursory look at complex topics. The illustrations and photos give each book added interest and approachability. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Native American Peoples titles: Cherokee, Cheyenne, Comanche, Navajo, Aztec, and Cree.
32 pp.
| New Mexico
| December, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-8263-3024-X$$14.95
(3)
4-6
Using the author's childhood encounters with Anasazi rock art on the cliffs of New Mexico as a starting point, the text expands to succinctly explain the key aspects of Anasazi culture. Drawings of rock art figures and a map of the areas where the Anasazi lived enhance this appealing introduction.
58 pp.
| Pleasant
| September, 1999
|
TradeISBN 1-56247-769-2$$14.95
(4)
4-6
American Girls Collection series.
The popular dolls' fictional stories introduce each time period, but these large-size books are in fact lavishly illustrated accounts of life in the past. Most of the history is told through captioned photos of historical objects (toys, tools, clothing) and illustrations, though the lines between fact and the fictional characters are sometimes confusingly blurred. The topics will be of particular interest to the series' fans, but all ages will enjoy browsing.
40 pp.
| Cavendish
| March, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-7614-5031-9$$15.95
(4)
1-3
This story describes a traditional Navajo wedding from the point of view of a white child whose best friend, Vanessa, is Navajo. Throughout the day, Vanessa's family explains the details that are part of the wedding ceremony. Though somewhat washed-out looking, the colored pencil art effectively illustrates information in the text. An author's note discussing sources would have been useful.
64 pp.
| Lerner
| May, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 0-8225-3577-7$$23.93
(4)
4-6
How It Was series.
Contrary to the series title, the history is fairly sketchy in these volumes, but readers will gain an understanding of the physical surroundings and way of life at these landmarks. After a brief chapter that does cover some history, each book features the fictionalized thoughts of six individuals, including a newly converted Chumash Indian girl, a cliff dweller, and one of Thomas Jefferson's slaves. Well-chosen color photos and floor plans complement the texts. Bib., glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Rising
| September, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-87358-662-X$$15.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Richard Ziehler-Martin.
Navajo storyteller Keams tells one part of the creation/emergence story about how her people came to have drinking water through the efforts of Snail Girl. The story also explains how certain animals came to have their distinctive physical traits. In the garishly colored illustrations, First Woman appears wooden, and the animals are odd-looking combinations of human and animal.
64 pp.
| Benchmark
| October, 1998
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-0899-1$$18.95
(3)
4-6
Ecosystems of North America series.
These books explore an ecosystem by examining its various subsystems (e.g., tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairies). The accessible texts illustrate how living and nonliving components interact and affect one another; how plants and animals have adapted to their surroundings; and how people have damaged and now attempt to sustain those ecosystems. Plenty of clear color photos illustrate the books. Bib., glos., ind.