Travesuras de los gigantes

Gr 2—5—Morgante and Caraculiambro are two naughty giants who take a thousand days to be born because they are busy playing. Caraculiambro arrives first and comes out speaking German. A week later Morgante is born and he speaks Latin. Their parents know that Caraculiambro is going to be combative because he has beaten his brother in all of their arm-wrestling matches. They also worry that Morgante is going to be a "bum" because he sucks his thumb. In this amusing story, Payeras uses popular Guatemalan expressions, such as somatón, chajelele, and patojo, which might challenge bilingual children growing up in the U.S. Varadi's surreal cut-paper collages are inventive but add unnecessary complexity to the story, especially when children need to guess the meaning of regionalisms. The use of potty talk and humorous references to farts, etc., are culturally authentic but might be considered inappropriate in certain communities. Nevertheless, the glossary and reading guide are wonderful tools to engage children in the adventures of these mischievous giants. This title could also be a good addition to libraries collecting tales from Central America.—Patricia Bashir, The Brentwood Library, TN