Deedy, C. A., & Austin, M. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach: a cuban folktale. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.
The colorful images and
texture-filled illustrations bring this charming tale about a little beautiful
cockroach from the page and into our hearts. Martina Josefina Cucaracha is the sweetest,
most lady-like cockroach to every walk the earth. She’s pressured by her Abuela to spill coffee
on the feet of each of her suitors to reveal their true character. And boy, do these illustrations do just that!
The images come to life and fill the page completely. Author Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrator
Michael Austin work seamlessly well to let the illustrations tell this
beautiful tale by using the artistic element of texture to enliven the
characters in this story.
As a Hispanic female, I
could completely relate to the process of choosing the right mate and having to
heed my grandmother’s advice. But this type of family
dynamic isn’t particular to Hispanic culture. It’s applicable to many others. Parents, you can analyze character from facial
expressions, to dialogue, to manners and good intentions.
Teachers, a helpful tip
in the classroom teaching would be to help young readers analyze how artwork
contributes to the revelation of character traits. Want to increase the rigor?
Introduce the vocabulary word “intentions”. Martina
the Beautiful Cockroach will definitely collaborate with any of these
ideas.
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