Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale

by Carmen Agra Deedy, Michael Austin (Illustrator)

Overview

The beautiful Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha doesn't know coffee beans about love and marriage, so when suitors come calling, what is she to do?

Luckily, she has her Cuban family to help! While some of the Cucarachas offer Martina gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her some useful advice: spill coffee on his shoes to see how he handles anger. At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela's suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails the Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love.

After reading this award-winning retelling of the Cuban folktale, readers will never look at a cockroach the same way again. Carmen Agra Deedy delivers a delightfully inventive Cuban twist on the beloved Martina folktale, complete with a dash of café Cubano.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561457878
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/04/2014
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Carmen Agra Deedy is a New York Times best-selling author and renowned storyteller. Her books have received numerous awards and honors. Carmen has performed in many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee and like most immigrants sees the world from multiple perspectives. She lives in Georgia.

Michael Austin grew up in Florida and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. A creative director, he has created art for many companies, including record labels and magazines, and has illustrated a dozen children's books. He lives in Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

"Deedy's text sparkles with sly humor. . . The stunning acrylic illustrations are full of color, light, and humor. . . This wonderful book will delight children." —School Library Journal

"Austin's cockroach dwelling is a desirable piece of real estate, with its stairs made of gum wrappers, its wrought-plastic comb railing, and its exclusive mid-Havana address (it's a lamppost). A friendly sprinkling of Spanish words, warmly drawn relationships and a lot of puns all widen the audience for this spirited story." —Publishers Weekly

"Lively and funny. . . Fun to compare with other versions, this telling has magic all its own." —Kirkus Reviews

"Deedy's masterful retelling of this Latino folktale has a rollicking voice imbued with sly tongue-in-cheek humor. The acrylic illustrations, in a hyper-realistic style reminiscent of a softer William Joyce, are rendered in a vivid tropical palette. Shifting perspectives and points of view add vitality to the compositions, and facial expressions reveal both emotions and character traits. A scattering of Spanish words adds zest to this fine read-aloud." —Booklist

From the Publisher

Available in both English and Spanish editions, this new version of a story told in Cuba, Puerto Rico and other LatinAmerican countries is lively and funny, without the sad ending found in some tellings. With the help of her wise grandmother, Martina tries to find the best husband from among the suitors lining up to marry her. With the traditional "Coffee Test"-she spills hot coffee on their shoes to see their response-she is able to see that none of the wouldbe husbands-the haughty rooster, the odorous pig and the cockroacheating lizard-are good choices, judging by their angry reactions. Finally, Abuela (grandmother) shows her a humble mouse, Perez, who has a sweet voice. Martina falls in love at once, although she is surprised when he turns the tables and uses the Coffee Test on her, as instructed by his Cuban grandmother. The acrylic paintings have a dreamy, surrealistic quality, and elements of Cuban housewares and products can be found in Martina's home in a streetlamp. Fun to compare with other versions, this telling has magic all its own. (Folklore. 610)

Kirkus Reviews