Senor Cat's Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America

Previously paired for The Bossy Gallito, the author, who grew up in Cuba, and the artist, who grew up in Puerto Rico, plumb their own rich childhood memories for this thoroughly enjoyable collection of six ""cuentos favoritos"" (favorite tales). Gonzalez, a children's librarian and storyteller, knows just how to wring the most out of a story, and here she skillfully bolsters half a dozen folktales with generous helpings of lively dialogue and a sprinkling of Spanish words and phrases to create lilting readalouds. Some of the tales are familiar (""Juan Bobo and the Three-Legged Pot"" in particular), some are not; all are much enhanced by Delacre's sun-dappled watercolors. Each page is framed with a border drawing of delicate wrought-iron work (a decorative staple in Spanish architecture) which visually intensifies the Latino flavor, and a glossary at the end of each story helps with pronunciation. There's even an informative afterword for each tale that offers a little something extra for adults (including Delacre's recipe for arroz con pollo). Ages 3-7. (Mar.)