Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Deedy

Book Review

Deedy, C.A. (2007).  Martina the beautiful cockroach. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.



Summary
This Cuban Folktale was awarded the Pura Belpre Honor Award writing 2007.  Martina is looking for a husband now that she is 21 day old.  Her grandmother gives her the shocking advice to spill coffee on each of her suitors.  This trick would allow her to see his temper. This advice helps her to weed out the wrong ones.



Analysis
The illustrator uses the visual element of color to portray the natural beauty of nature.  This bold colors allow reinforce the feelings of the protagonist in the folktale. When evaluating this picture book, the cultural markers were evident.  The Spanish vocabulary used in the book along with the illustrations depicting Cuban items, food, homes, envelops the reader in the Cuban culture.

This could easily be used in the classroom to produce a play, children's theatre, or a puppet show.  The above video is an example of a play performed by a 1st grade class.