Martina Has Too Many Tías
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A quiet girl overwhelmed by her rambunctious family finds a magical land of solitude only to discover what truly makes a home a home in this lively and magical bilingual picture book that reimagines the beloved Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina.”
Martina does not like parties. Parties are full of tías with their flashy fashions and boom-and-bellow laughter that’s too much for quiet Martina. At least with all that noise, no one notices when she slips away. She finds herself in a magical place: a warm, familiar island where she can finally play in peace and quiet. Martina is home at last—or is she?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Otheguy riffs on the Caribbean folktale "La Cucaracha Martina" in this emotionally aware story about family and self. Since Martina's boisterous tías typically give her a headache, the child slips away upon their arrival for a party, attended by people of various skin tones, to tell herself "a little story/ about a whisper-quiet fairy." Back home, the bespectacled child, portrayed with brown skin, unexpectedly slips into a pot smelling of guava, and its steam carries her to a "warm island home" where, in an echo of the original folktale, she encounters different animals, each too loud for her liking. A quiet, imaginative mouse seems like an ideal friend, but when it gets sleepy and departs, it leaves Martina "very,/ very/ much alone." Attracted by the distant sound of salsa and laughter, Martina returns home with a greater appreciation for family bonds. Circular forms suffuse Palacios's festive digital renderings of Martina's magical journey toward family connection. An author's note concludes. Ages 4–8.
