Salsa Stories

by Lulu Delacre

Book Overview

An evocative collection of short stories by a three-time Pura Belpre honoree. Now available in paperback When Carmen Teresa receives a notebook as a holiday gift, the guests suggest she write down... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590631187
• ISBN13: 9780590631181
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Length: 105 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Introduction to Latino Culture

_Salsa Stories_ introduces readers to Latin American culture. It welcomes us to family celebrations and makes us feel at home. The book includes delightful stories collected from family and friends. When Carmen Teresa receives a blank book as a New Year's gift, everyone at their gathering seems to have a favorite experience to share with the group and contribute to the book. Although the storytellers now live in the United States, their stories come from Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. A sprinkling of Spanish words enhances the stories' authenticity. The stories paint vivid pictures of everyday customs and special celebrations -- designing a sawdust carpet for Holy Week, for example, or celebrating the Night of San Juan. Perhaps even more memorable than the unique experiences are the universal ones, the experiences that traverse cultural lines and remind us of things we human beings have in common: parents working to provide a good life for their children, children testing their boundaries, siblings vying with one another. It is not surprising that these stories involving various family celebrations also involve food. By providing recipes for the dishes mentioned in her stories, author Lulu Delacre invites readers to partake of her culture on an even more intimate level. Each story includes a full-page linocut, depicting a key scene. Smaller linocuts illustrate some of the foods in the recipe section at the back of the book. Although most of the Spanish words and phrases are clear from context, Delacre provides a glossary that includes pronunciations, even of proper names. Every family can benefit from discovering and collecting its stories. Through the process of collection, people become better acquainted with each other -- and with their family history. When stories are written down, they can be shared with others and preserved for future generations.

A Recipe for Success

Salsa Stories is a fabulous combination of 2 parts story, 1 part pictures, and 1 part food. This friendly mélange makes for delectable reading when paired with the endearing stories in this collection. A very interesting aspect of the collection is that the stories follow the calendar, beginning with arroz con pollo on New Year's Day, and ending with coconut tembleque at Christmas. Likewise, Salsa Stories also follows its delightful characters all over Latin America and will lead them into your heart. The characters go through such universal problems as sibiling rivalry, having to tell the truth, and trying to coax your friend's parents into letting them play with you, in stories that transcend geography and ethnicity. Salsa Stories is a lovely book for all.

Salsa Stories

Salsa Stories is a wonderful children's book. The stories enrich a reader's sense of Latin American culture, from the holidays to the fabulous foods! The illustrations are exquisite and complement the text very well. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes fun-filled stories and irresistable recipes!