The Latin American Story Finder - by Sharon Barcan Elswit (Paperback)

About the Book

Anything is possible in the world of Latin American folklore: Aunt Misery traps Death in a pear tree; Lucia Zenteno carries away a river in her hair; shapeshifting Amazonian dolphins lure young girls to their underwater city; the Feathered Snake brings the first musicians to Earth; and a farmer discovers that doing favors for the Lord of Creation can lead to disaster.

Book Synopsis

Anything is possible in the world of Latin American folklore, where Aunt Misery can trap Death in a pear tree; Amazonian dolphins lure young girls to their underwater city; and the Feathered Snake brings the first musicians to Earth. One in a series of folklore reference guides (""...an invaluable resource...""--School Library Journal), this book features summaries and sources of 470 tales told in Mexico, Central America and South America, a region underrepresented in collections of world folklore. The volume sends users to the best stories retold in English from the Inca, Maya, and Aztec civilizations, Spanish and Portuguese missionaries and colonists, African slave cultures, indentured servants from India, and more than 75 indigenous tribes from 21 countries. The tales are grouped into themed sections with a detailed subject index.

Review Quotes

"recommended"--Choice; "gather[s] 470 tales from 21 countries and 75 indigenous tribes...a pleasure"--Library Journal; "a fascinating mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, and indigenous Native American narratives...excellent resource...valuable"--Oklahoma State University Libraries; "a unique resource on over 470 Latin American tales"--ARBA; "highly recommended"--Hispania; "The book is comprehensive and well organized. It covers the entire field interestingly, serving as in introduction to one of the most engaging domains in world folklore."--Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies.

About the Author

Sharon Barcan Elswit has been working as a children's librarian for 35 years. She currently teaches in New York City. She writes reviews for Jewish Book Council and has published in School Library Journal, Writer's Digest, and other magazines. Visit her website at www.sharonelswit.com .