Book Review: Señor Cat’s Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America

After reading these folk tales from Latin America, children will never look at a weather vane in quite the same way. Poor Medio-Pollito’s selfish ways confined him there for eternity. The inclusion of all readers is quite evident in this book. Each tale contains “Something about the Story” where author Lucía González connects with the reader on a personal level or tells a little about the variations of each tale in different Latin American countries. Even the illustrator (Lulu Delacre) reaches out by painting in her own favorite recipe for Arroz con Pollo in the saga of “Juan Bobo and the Three-Legged Pot.” In addition, González defines words and phrases within the text and includes a pronunciation guide and definitions for unfamiliar Spanish words at the end of each legend. The illustrations add an authentic flair to the book in soft yet bold watercolors.