Publisher Description

Mexican folktales invite us into a magical world of enchantment and transformation, populated by cats and kings, priests and tricksters, ordinary people and supernatural beings. A witch turns seven brothers into seven little blue oxen; the Virgin Mary rewards a good girl with a gold star on her forehead but adorns her wicked stepsister with a pair of horns; a young man, thrown overboard to drown, is rescued by a mysterious shadow. Drawing from authentic sources, folklorist Neil Philip has created a rich and varied collection, representing the unique blend of classic folkloric elements and Catholic imagery characteristic of the Mexican and Mexican American storytelling tradition. The retellings capture the wit, spirituality, and wonder of the originals and are perfectly complemented by Jacqueline Mair's colorful illustrations, which are based on Mexican folk art.

Drawing from authentic sources, folklorist Neil Philip has created a rich and varied anthology where classic themes and fairytale elements are blended with magic and infused with Roman Catholic imagery to create a distinctly Mexican flavor and flare. The Virgin Mary plays the role of fairy godmother, devils gamble for souls, and witches dance at fiestas with horse hooves instead of feet. As in the tradition of other folktales from around the world, cats, dogs, fools, soldiers and princesses go on quests and have magical adventures. The vibrant, whimsical paintings by Jacqueline Mair are based on Mexican folk art and make these spirited tales just right for story times and a perfect introduction to this little known body of folk literature.

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.

This revised edition of the original reference standard for urban legends provides an updated anthology of common myths and stories, and presents expanded coverage of international legends and tales shared and popularized online. From roasted babies to vanishing hitchhikers to housewives in football helmets, this exhaustive and highly readable encyclopedia provides descriptions of hundreds of individual legends and their variations, examines legend themes, and explains scholarly approaches to the genre. Revised and expanded to include updated versions of the entries from the award-winning first edition, this work provides additional entries on a wide range of new topics that include terrorism, recent political events, and Hurricane Katrina. Entries in Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, Updated and Expanded Edition discuss the presence of urban legends in comic books, literature, film, music, and many other areas of popular culture, as well as the existence of "too good to be true" stories in Argentina, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and several other countries. Serving as both an anthology of stories as well as a reference work, this encyclopedia will serve as a valuable resource for students and a source book for journalists, professional folklorists, and others who are researching or interested in urban legends.

Fredericks presents hundreds of hands-on, minds-on projects that actively engage students in positive learning experiences. Each of the units offers book summaries, social studies topic areas, critical thinking questions, classroom resources, and lots of easy-to-do activities for every grade level. The author also provides practical guidelines for collaborative ventures with school librarians, tips for integrating literature across the curriculum, lists of relevant web sites useful in social studies curriculum. Everything is linked to the social studies standards.

How much gold is there in the world? How fast can hair grow? What tree has roots growing from its branches? Find out about these and other facts about animals, minerals, sports, history, etc. Students will be amazed by the factual stories in this 96-page book.