Momentos mágicos / Magic Moments

By Olga Loya

Book Overview

Winner of Storytelling World Award Am ricas Commended List

In Latin American culture--with its blend of Indian, Spanish, Catholic, and African influence--magic is a part of the everyday world. Momentos m gicos, or magic moments, can come in many forms. For storyteller Olga Loya, magic occurs every time an ancient story is passed from teller to listener. The sixteen stories here are full of momentos m gicos.

Presented in equally vibrant English and Spanish, they include stories of the supernatural, such as the Mexican tale of La Llorona, the Wailing Woman; of animals and tricksters, such as the Mayan story of how Monkey tricked Crocodile; of strong women, like Blanca Flor (White Flower); and myths, such as La Diosa Hambrienta, the hungry goddess.

In stories from Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, the Yucatan, Nicaragua, Baja California, Puerto Rico, and the Mayan Popol Vhu, Olga Loya works her magic to create humorous, vital, and powerful renditions of centuries-old legends. These bilingual and multicultural stories will learn the importance of fairness, respect and caring.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087483497X
• ISBN13: 9780874834970
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: August House Publishers
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Perfect for learning and reviewing!

This wonderful collection of short stories is ideal for either learning Spanish for the first time, or, as in my case, reviewing the language over 20 years after first studying it. The stories are interesting, with a mixture of commonly-used words and unusual ones. Having both Spanish and English versions side by side makes it very easy to go back and forth to check the meanings of unfamiliar words. I love it!

A must have in your library

This compilation of Latin-American folktales is very interesting for young and old alike. This book, along with Drum, Chavi, Drum! (by Mayra L. Dole) and Trinos Choice (by Diane Gonzales Bertrand), are the three best books I have read this year.

Marvelous stories for read-alouds

This marvelous collection of folk tales from Latin America works beautifully for read-alouds to children from ages 8 up. Each tale is included in both English and Spanish version,with varieties such as "horror" stories, stories of magic and others. My students have especially enjoyed "The Flying Skeleton" [El esqueleto volador] and "The Rooster's Claw" [Pata del gallo], a particularly delightfully grim variation of "The Monkey's Paw." Highly recommended