Three Pigs/ Los tres cerdos: Nacho, Tito, and Miguel

author: Bobbi Salinas

illustrator: Bobbi Salinas

translators: Amapola Franzen and Marcos Guerrero

Piñata Publications, 1998

all grades 

Mexican American

This bilingual story is a much more thoughtful and loving telling (also way funnier) than that of the Grimm Brothers or any other Eurocentric or “multicultural” version I’ve seen. The three pig brothers—Nacho, Tito and Miguel—leave home and their tearful, encouraging mother, not to seek their fortunes, but to “seek new adventures and meet new friends.” Nacho and Tito purchase materials and build their houses, but of course, José the wolf, ever dreaming of carnitas and chicharrones, blows down their houses and takes them captive. It is up to Miguel to outwit José (and leave him exhausted and wounded besides) and save his brothers, after which they sit down to a dinner of corn on the cob, green chili stew with tortillas, chunky applesauce and fresh apple cider. Way better than carnitas and chicharrones, eh?

The Spanish translation can be hilarious, too; the familiar refrain, “by the hairs of my chinny-chin-chin” becomes, in Spanish, “by my grandma’s beard” and “Ay, te wacho,” (which you won’t find in Google Translate because it’s Caló and Google doesn’t understand Caló) becomes, “Hasta la vista, baby!”

This is all classic Bobbie Salinas, definitely meant to be read aloud (so children can shout the refrain, “No way, José!”) and then handed over to youngsters to pore over the amazing pictures. (They may not recognize Frida Kahlo or Cantinflas, but some of us will.) Highly recommended.

—Beverly Slapin
(published 4/8/13)

Cinderella Latina/ La Cenicienta Latina

 

author: Bobbi Salinas 

illustrator: Bobbi Salinas

translator: Enrique Lamadrid

Piñata Publications, 2003

grades 4-up 

Mexican American

This bilingual Mexican-American feminist telling of the Cinderella story, as only Salinas can do it, is as unlike any of the other “Spanish-multicultural” versions as, say, Frida Kahlo is to Doris Day. Here, Serena’s parents encourage her to be a lifelong learner, to take in all the wonders of nature, to remember the importance of dancing and laughter, and never to forget to say gracias a la vida. All of this learning will be of good use to her after she loses her parents, when Serena becomes Cenicienta and has to deal with the cruelty of her stepmother and stepsisters, ¿tú sabes?

A curandera helps Serena to get to the fiesta, where she meets the love of her life. They eventually get married, of course—but not before she obtains her medical degree and opens La Clinica de Mujeres, which is right next door to his Escuela del Pueblo.

With dead-on details of Mexican art, culture, intellectualism and revolutionary activism, Salinas’s ink-and-acrylic paintings are amazing. Check out the titles on Serena’s bookshelf, por ejemplo, and see who’s at the fiesta. Highly recommended.

—Beverly Slapin
(published 4/6/13)