cover image Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktales

Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktales

Mary-Joan Gerson. Barefoot Books, $19.99 (64pp) ISBN 978-1-84148-365-8

Eight more heroines representing different cultural traditions are noted in Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktales retold by Mary-Joan Gerson, illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez. The famous legend of ""The Virgin of Guadalupe"" sits alongside the Mayan tale ""Rosha and the Sun,"" in which a girl rescues the sun after her brother traps it, and the Aztec tale ""Malintzin of the Mountain,"" sheds light on the controversial woman who fell for Cort s and helped him conquer her own people. Vibrant illustrations in the tradition of each culture, and attractive borders that unify each tale, bring these women to life. (Aug.)