Pura Belpre (1899–1982)

In this poignant picture-book exploration of a young boy's sense of displacement, when his family moves from Puerto Rico to New York City, the eponymous Santiago longs for the familiar, particularly his beloved pet hen, Selina, whom he had to leave behind. Will he ever convince his skeptical classmate, Ernie, that Selina was real? And why is it so important that he do so...?

Some of the details in Santiago seemed a little dated - I have difficulty imagining a teacher today having the authority to take her class to the home of one of her students, or down to the river to play; and many young readers probably won't know what a stereoscope is - but the emotional undercurrents are as relevant as they ever were. Young immigrant children, of all backgrounds, will identify with Santiago, described by his teacher as being "in two places at once," as will any child who has moved to a new town.

The ninth book I have read by Pura Belpré - a Puerto Rican librarian and author, whose work in advancing library services to Spanish-speaking patrons, as well as in promoting the folklore of her homeland, was recognized when the Pura Belpré Award was named after her - Santiago is the first which was not a folktale. I enjoyed this portrait of a (then) contemporary Puerto Rican boy, and wish that Belpré had written more like it. The evocative illustrations by Symeon Shimin - which look to be done in watercolor - accentuate the emotional impact of the story. All in all, a lovely little title!… (more)

When Señor Lion and Señora Lioness find themselves facing hard times, the hungry couple decide to throw a party, inviting all their animal friends, including Señor and Señora Goat. But their carefully laid plans - featuring a large pit, some surreptitious pushing, and a juicy goat-meat meal - begin to go awry when thin Señor Goat arrives with his friend, Señor Dog, rather than his plump wife; and come to nothing when the two friends catch on to the scheme, and slip discreetly away. Will they be able to escape hungry Señor Lion, who pursues them...?

Originally published in Pura Belpré's The Tiger and the Rabbit and Other Tales, this Puerto Rican folktale is the kind of humorous animal adventure that young readers enjoy, although particularly sensitive children may be put off by the idea of the lions eating their "friends." Like Belpré's Oté: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale, the artwork here is done by Paul Galdone, who manages to capture the sly intentions of the leonine characters with his expressive illustrations.… (more)

A collection of eighteen folktales from Puerto Rico (three more than in the original 1944 edition), The Tiger and the Rabbit contains everything from animal stories to cautionary fairy-tales, and is illustrated by the celebrated Tomie dePaola, whose 1979 picture-book, Strega Nona, was selected as a Caldecott Honor book. His black and white etching-style artwork has an old-fashioned appeal, while Pura Belpré's stories, which often reminded me of tales I have read from other traditions, were quite engaging. Selections include:

The Tiger and the Rabbit, a trickster tale in which the clever Rabbit outwits the hungry Tiger time and again. It was interesting to note that, unlike so many other tales of this kind, the opponents end up becoming friends.

Nangato, in which a small mouse-village, led by the gentle Perez, make their new feline neighbor welcome, only to pay a high price for their naivete.

The Earrings, the story of a young woman who disregards her mother's warning about bathing in the nearby the river and, when attempting to retrieve her earrings afterward, is captured by an evil man. This tale, in which young Julia is shoved into a sack and made to sing, in order that her captor might earn money from the credulous villagers (who believe that the sack is magical), is very similar to that related in Bimwili and the Zimwi, making me wonder if the Puerto Rican variant is of African origin.

The Bed, a cumulative tale in which a growing menagerie of animals join a young boy under a creaky bed, until the bed breaks. Although it doesn't read very well on the page, I suspect that this would make an excellent selection for storyhour, with its ever-growing refrain. It can also be found in Barbara Baumgartner's Crocodile! Crocodile!: Stories Told Around the World, as The Squeaky Old Bed.

The Jurga, in which a miserly old farmer and his wife - a witch who takes the shape of a dog by day, and a bird by night - get their just desserts from a clever worker that they think to abuse.

The Wolf, the Fox, and the Jug of Honey, in which two friends stumble upon a jug of honey, and agree to share it - an understanding violated by the cunning fox, who manages to eat all of it himself. This story reminded me of a similar Scots tale, The Fox and the Wolf, found in Augusta Baker's The Talking Tree and other Stories: Fairy Tales from 15 Lands, in which the fox eats a cask of butter found by the two friends.

Juan Bobo, in which Puerto Rico's storied fool - whose misadventures and misunderstandings always come right in the end, though not through any effort of the hero's - dresses his mother's pig in fine clothing. This tale can also be found (in simplified form) in Carmen T. Bernier-Grand's Juan Bobo: Four Folktales from Puerto Rico.

La Hormiguita, a cumulative tale in which a little ant calls upon the sun to punish the snow which broke her leg, setting off a "hunt" for the most powerful entity, with each new object or force addressed explaining that there is something more powerful even than it. This tale-type can be seen in many traditions, and would make an excellent selection for reading aloud, with its expanding refrain.

The Shepherd and the Princess, in which a humble young shepherd wins the hand of a princess, by solving the king's three riddles.

Señor Billy Goat, in which an older couple, unable to roust the billy goat that is destroying their garden, turn to La Hormiguita - the little ant - for help.

Casi Lampu'a Lentemué, a tale in which young Paco, captured by the village witch, must guess the name of his captor, in order to win his freedom. This was an interesting mixture of motifs already familiar to me, through tales such as Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin.

The Gluttonous Wife, in which a poor farmer begins to suspect that his wife, who grows fatter and fatter, although she never wants to cook, is hoarding their food for herself.

The Albahaca Plant, in which a humble carpenter's youngest daughter - both beautiful and clever - engages in a battle of wits with the merry king.

The Dance of the Animals, a story that Belpré has also published on its own, in picture book format (Dance of the Animals: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale), in which a hungry lion and lioness plot to eat their goat friends.

The Three Magi, which tells of a minor misadventure of the Three Magi - the three kings who, in Christian tradition, visited the infant Christ in Bethlehem, and who, in Spanish culture, are thought to bring presents to children on the eve of Epiphany (January 6).

The Cat, the Mountain Goat, and the Fox, in which a lazy cat has all the other animals convinced that she is an invalid, and that they must provide her with food, until a clever fox reveals her trickery.

The Three Petitions, in which a young couple fail (surprise, surprise) to make wise use of the three wishes granted them.

And finally, The Three Figs, in which the humble Fernando offers his best to the king, and is richly rewarded, while the arrogant Santiago, thinking to replicate his neighbor's good fortune, gets a nasty surprise.… (more)

When the Queen's beautiful pearl necklace - presented to her by the King as a birthday gift - goes missing, there is a great hue and cry. But though the searchers look everywhere, they cannot locate it, prompting the King to offer a reward for its recovery. It falls to Juan Bobo - a simple young man from the highlands - to solve the mystery, which he inadvertently does, while strumming his guitar and listening to the nightingales...

A humorous tale from Pura Belpré's native Puerto Rico, Juan Bobo and the Queen's Necklace features the simpleton folk-hero ("bobo" means "silly" or "stupid" in Spanish) who appears in so many Latin American folk traditions. Young readers will enjoy the story, in which the hero stumbles upon his fortune almost by accident, as well as the illustrations by Christine Price. With black lines, and pink and green tones, the artwork reminded me a bit of Lois Lenski. All in all, this was a very appealing picture-book, and should be of particular interest to young folklore enthusiasts, as well as those readers (like myself) looking to familiarize themselves with Belpré's work.… (more)