Author: Carmen Agra Deedy
From GoodReads, "Carmen Agra Deedy delivers a deliciously inventive Cuban version of the beloved Martina folktale, complete with a dash of café Cubano.
Martina the beautiful cockroach doesn't know coffee beans about love and marriage. That's where her Cuban family comes in. While some of the Cucarachas offer her gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her something really useful: un consejo increible, some shocking advice.
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."
I had the pleasure of hearing Carmen Agra Deedy speak to a group of teachers and librarians at the Plum Creek Literacy Festival in Seward, Nebraska. She was an amazing storyteller and gave us lots to take back home to our schools, including the importance of storytelling. I purchased Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale at the festival. The book included a CD of Carmen Agra Deedy telling the story in her own unique way. I have shared her version with library classes from second through eighth grade and I can honestly tell you that every student has been engaged. I would highly recommend buying the book and making sure it has the CD included. It is truly amazing.
The story is a wonderful testament to the lesson that it is more important what people have on the inside rather than what they look like on the outside and has a unique way of pointing this out. I also liked the underlying lesson of respecting our elders demonstrated beautifully by the relationship Martina has with her grandmother. This is a terrific book and one that should be shared with as many people as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment