SHAKE IT, MORENA!

The arc of a young girl’s typical school day gives structure to this presentation of a rich mixture of traditional songs, games, riddles, a few simple recipes, and stories from Puerto Rico. Bernier-Grand (In the Shade of the Nispero Tree, 1999, etc.) presents most selections in Spanish and English and provides tidbits of background information, sometimes describing the origin of the song or tale or noting a fact about an animal or a place mentioned in a song or a riddle. The music for the songs is printed at the end of the text. Perky children portraying the racial diversity of Puerto Rico appear in their school uniforms and their play clothes and go through the actions of their day—from early morning, rising to the strains of a “Waking Up Song” with alternate verses sung by parents and children, to bedtime, when “The Song of El Coquí,” with its onomatopoetic refrain that imitates the sound of the ubiquitous island tree frog. Riddles are an important aspect of folklore in most Spanish-speaking cultures and math and animal riddles are included here, as are several stories (in English only), including a tale about the hummingbird that recalls the conflict between Caribs and Tainos in Pre-Columbian times and a Juan Bobo tale. The 27 lizards hiding in Delacre’s (Salsa Stories, 2000, etc.) clear, vibrant watercolors depicting a rural town, will demand attention from readers as they pore over the other details of a contemporary society enlivened by tradition. Although there’s not much documentation here, the presentation of this folkloric material is engaging. (Nonfiction. 5-10)