Mama Goose : A Latino Nursery Treasury

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PreS-Gr. 2. This packed-to-the-gills volume features nursery rhymes, riddles, sayings, and songs drawn from the rich traditions of Spanish-speaking cultures. Arranged in thoughtfully introduced sections such as "Canciones de comba / Jump-Rope Songs" and "Adivinanzas / Riddles," the 68 selections appear first in Spanish, followed by a loose recasting of the original in italicized English. Tracey Heffernan is credited with "creative editing of the English," a role that extends beyond strict translation to produce English entries that preserve features such as rhyme, onomatopoeia, and repetition. The results occasionally stray significantly from the originals' sense, so readers hoping to enrich a developing second language won't be particularly well served; others will wish for musical notation and annotations about each entry's cultural origins. (Jose-Luis Orozco's bilingual poetry collections include more of both.) Still, native Spanish speakers wanting to share favorite rhymes with children will relish this book's breadth--and young speakers of either language will appreciate the bouncing rhythms and nonsense fun. Two indexes, one in Spanish and one in English, conclude, and lighthearted watercolors by Suarez appear throughout. Jennifer Mattson
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Book Description
Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy, acclaimed authors and scholars of Latino literature, have spent years culling popular and beloved lullabies, jump-rope songs, riddles, proverbs, and more from all over the Spanish-speaking world. The result is the most comprehensive bilingual folklore collection available in this country. Full of charm and humor, rich with the diversity of Latino cultures, this one-of-a-kind treasury is the perfect introduction to Latino folklore for English speakers, and a trove of familiar favorites for Spanish speakers.


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Gathering fresh material, Ada and colleagues expand the scope of Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes (2003) to include not only baby songs, but riddles, proverbs, play rhymes, jump-rope rhymes, a circular tale and even a funny ballad about a dead cat brought back to life by the smell of sardines. Except for English-only section introductions, the contents-index included-are bilingual, Spanish first, with the English translations editorially tweaked into rhyme: "Una, dos, y tres / pluma, tintero y papel / para escribir una carta / a mi querido Miguel," becomes "One, two three / paper, ink and pen / all to write a letter / to my sweetheart Ben." Suarez decorates the pages with smiling, round-faced, sweet-looking children and animals bouncing about exuberantly. As there are no source notes and the compilers even tuck in a few insufficiently identified poems of their own, this wins no high marks for scholarship-but young listeners singing or clapping along won't mind. (Bilingual poetry. 3-8)


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