Trickster tales are to be found in the repertoire of traditional stories from all over the world and are of universal appeal. Linking in with our current focus on the US’s Hispanic Heritage Month, here are two that are sure to have young listeners enthralled:
Love and Roast Chicken (Carolrhoda Books, 2004), retold and illustrated by Barbara Knutson, is the story of how Cuy the guinea pig saves himself and tricks Tio Antonio the fox not once but the archetypal three times. Children will laugh with glee at the narrative and will love the energetic woodcut-and-watercolor illustrations. Set in the Andes, the well-written story effortlessly interjects Spanish and Quechuan phrases into the English text – for which there’s a glossary at the end, as well as some background information. You can read about Barbara’s two years in Peru here, including a great suggestion to carry a sketch pad with you when you go travelling.
Yuyi Morales’ original story Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Chronicle Books, 2003) is another joy. Grandma Beetle is far too busy to go away with Senor Cavalero when he comes knocking. Death in the form of the humorously depicted skeleton is thus forced to wait, while she prepares one, two, three etc things for the birthday celebrations at the end: and eventually he gives up altogether and leaves in disgust. Yuyi’s humorous artwork and snappy dialogue mean that children will not be scared by the story – they are much more likely to be too busy cheering Grandma Beetle on. Indeed, Bever’s Book Blog makes the point that many young listeners will probably not even realise the book is about death until it is pointed out to them. Open Wide, Look Inside has this podcast, recommending the book for cross-curricular and multicultural teaching. Read our interview with Yuyi, where she talks about the book - including the many children she has met “who think that Señor Calavera, the skeleton in my book Just a Minute is a cute guy, and that I should marry him.”! And don’t miss Yuyi’s delightful Personal View, My Childhood Readings: A Short List to Grow On, in our current issue.
For more Latin American trickster tales, Latina storyteller Olga Loya has recorded four stories, told in both Spanish and English, for her audiobook entitled Tío Conejo. As well as the one about Uncle Rabbit, there are a monkey, an opossum and a dog.
Do let us know if you have enjoyed these or any other trickster tales…
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Author: 
I am delighted to have received news of the this podcast on Barbara Knutson’s Love and Roast Chicken!
I am Barbara’s husband. Last week marked three years since Barbara passed away at age 45, but it is my sincere hope that her spirit continues to touch the
lives of children through her books long into the future.
A few scattered notes of possible interest:
As I suspect you are aware, her website has some author’s notes about the origin of each folktale, as well as some insights into her process in turning these cultural treasures into picturebooks. Barbaraknutson.com
She first encountered this folktale while we living in Peru, finding various versions throughout the Andes. We hiked deep into the mountain regions of Ecuador, Peru, and Boliva during her research. While she conducted most research for L&RC in Spanish, she also learned as much of the story in Quechwa and Ayamara as possible, the languages spoken in the highlands. She enjoyed the trading of folktales and the exchange would often fuel the evening conversations around steaming bowls of potato soup.
Barbara loved language as well as art, frequently reading her pleasure novels in French and Spanish.
Nature was also a passion, and was meticulus she was about the authenticity of her illustrations in this regard. Careful scrutiny of her books will show the stars as they appear in the southern hemisphere, the plants and animal species to be those that she had observed. She kept detailed sketch books to record her observations. I know she felt it essential to convey multiple aspects of the culture in retelling of the folktale, even the cadence of the prose. (She was an accomplished flute and recorder player, so I think language was something she observed and felt as well.)
I hope some of this is interesting and informative to the discussion.