The Day It Snowed Tortillas / El Dia Que Nevaron Torillas: Folktales told in Spanish and English
by Joe Hayes
Cinco Puntos Press
2003
pp. 133
Paperback
ISBN 978-0-938317-76-0
$12.95
Synopsis
Kids of all ages are always asking Joe Hayes, “How can it snow tortillas?” Well, now they’ll know where to find the answer-at long last, Joe’s signature book The Day It Snowed Tortillas is appearing in this new bilingual edition. Bloomsbury Review listed the original English-only edition as one of their fifteen all-time favorite children’s books. Our bilingual edition has all the original stories as they have evolved in the last twenty years of Joe’s storytelling. It also has new illustrations by award-winning artist Antonio Castro. Storytellers have been telling these stories in the villages of New Mexico since the Spanish first came to the New World over four hundred years ago, but Joe always adds his own nuances for modern audiences. The tales are full of magic and fun. In the title story, for instance, a very clever woman saves her silly husband from a band of robbers. She makes the old man believe it snowed tortillas during the night! In another story, a young boy gladly gives up all of his wages for good advice. His parents think he is a fool, but the good advice leads to wealth and a royal marriage. The enchantment continues in story after story-a clever thief tricks a king for his kingdom and a prince finds his beloved in a house full of wicked step-sisters. And of course, we listen again to the ancient tale of the weeping woman, La Llorona, who still searches for her drowned children along the riverbanks.
Read an excerpt
Courtesy of Cinco Puntos Press.
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“A master storyteller sets down 10 tales told in New Mexico. In the title story, a clever wife diverts some thieves who are after her dim-witted husband, thus assuring the couples prosperity. In a cumulative tale, a little ant escapes being stuck forever in the cold under a large snowflake by enlisting help from tiny cousin flea. The stories are well told, rhythmic, and spellbinding, both in English and in the colloquial Spanish. Hayes is a fine translator, and these stories are a testament to his expert execution of this exacting art. The format indicates that the book is designed more for the storyteller than for the reader. A paragraph of English text alternates with the same paragraph in Spanish. This makes for choppy reading, but is a natural and helpful division if the tale is being memorized. Each story begins with a full-page pencil drawing. Photographic in detail, Castro L.s art extends the stories a bit. Notes to the stories give history as well as the Arne-Thompson numbers for the tale type. Similar in content to Carmen Diana Deardens Little Book of Latin American Folktales (Groundwood, 2003), Hayes’ work is the better told of the two. It could be used alongside Mary-Joan Gersons excellent Fiesta Femenina (Barefoot, 2001) for a storytime that points out similarities and differences in Mexican and New Mexican folktales. An excellent purchase for storytelling librarians or for schools with storytelling clubs.” -- School Library Journal
“This collection of 10 folktales told in Spanish and English has been compiled by a popular storyteller and presented in a bilingual format with English on the left page and Spanish on the right page. The stories are tales that Mr. Hayes enjoys telling such as ‘Pedro and Diablo,’ ‘The Cricket,’ and ‘Little Gold Star.’ Each story is accompanied by one black and white illustration on the first page. The stories are well constructed, lean and full of twists and turns. Mr. Hayes also includes source notes for readers and storytellers. These tales would be good material for storytellers or story readers. The stories also would work well in units about local folklore and as compare/contrast materials. Well worth the price. You may even want two copies of this gem.” -- El Paso ISD Library Review
About the author
Joe Hayes is one of America’s premier storytellers. He grew up in a small town in southern Arizona where he learned Spanish from his classmates. As he got older, Joe began gathering old stories from the Southwest. Joe has earned a distinctive role as a bilingual storyteller. He is especially recognized for his bilingual telling of stories from the Hispanic culture of northern New Mexico. Joe lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and travels extensively throughout the United States, visiting schools and storytelling festivals.
Visit your local library to borrow a copy of The Day It Snowed Tortillas / El Dia Que Nevaron Torillas: Folktales told in Spanish and English.