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PeachTree Publishers PeachTree Publishers
MARTINA UNA CUCARACHITA MUY LINDA
Written by Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrated by Michael Austin

Hardcover: $16.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-425-9
Total Pages: 32
Size: 11-5/8 x 10

Carmen Agra Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba, and emigrated to Georgia with her family during the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. A professional storyteller, she has performed at the Disney Institute, on Broadway at the New Victory Theater, at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Kennedy Center, as well as many other storytelling festivals nationwide. Deedy is a regular contributor to National Public Radio's "Weekend All Things Considered" and "Latino USA." Deedy lives in Georgia.You can visit Carmen Agra Deedy's website at: www.carmendeedy.com


MICHAEL AUSTIN, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, is a creative director and the illustrator of several books. He lives in Georgia.You can visit Michael Austin's website at: www.austinillustration.com


Martina una cucarachita muy linda
UN CUENTO CUBANO
Carmen Agra Deedy delivers a deliciously inventive Cuban version of the beloved Martina folktale, complete with a dash of café cubano. Spanish version!

Accelerated Reader & Reading Counts Tests:
AR Quiz#: 116505
AR Reading Level: 4.3
Martina the beautiful cockroach doesn’t know coffee beans about love and marriage. That’s where her Cuban family comes in. While some of the Cucarachas offer her gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her something really useful: un consejo increíble, some shocking advice.

“You want me to do what?” Martina gasps.

At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela’s unorthodox suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails the Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love. Soon, only the gardener Pérez, a tiny brown mouse, is left. But what will happen when Martina offers him café cubano?

After reading this sweet and witty retelling of the Cuban folktale, you’ll never look at a cockroach the same way again.

This title is also available in English! Click here to see more details on Martina in English!

This title is also available as an audio CD! Each compact disc includes Carmen's storytelling performance and her narrations in English and Spanish, with the sounds of musical instruments as page-turn prompts. Click here for more information on the Martina CD!

Intrigued by the story of Martina? Want to learn more about its origins or about the real Cuban cockroach? Check out our new website - www.beautifulmartina.com - to get the inside scoop on this wonderful book!

Reviews

"Austin's cockroach dwelling is a desirable piece of real estate, with its stairs made of gum wrappers, its wrought–plastic comb railing, and its exclusive mid-Havana address (it's a lamppost). A friendly sprinkling of Spanish words, warmly drawn relationships and a lot of puns all widen the audience for this spirited story."

Publishers Weekly

"Deedy’s masterful retelling of this Latino folktale has a rollicking voice imbued with sly tongue-in-cheek humor. The acrylic illustrations, in a hyper-realistic style reminiscent of a softer William Joyce, are rendered in a vivid tropical palette. Shifting perspectives and points of view add vitality to the compositions, and facial expressions reveal both emotions and character traits. A scattering of Spanish words adds zest to this fine read-aloud."

Booklist

“[has] a sparkle that will make this book as much a delight to read aloud as it is for the children listening… would be a natural addition to any library’s collection of folk literature, picture books, and Hispanic tales.”

Library Media Connection

Awards

* A Junior Library Guild Selection
* 2008 NCSS/CBC Notable Trade Books for Young People in the Field of Social Studies
* 2008 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
* Nominee, 2008-2009 Children’s Book Award (Florida Reading Association)
* Nominee, 2008-2009 Mockingbird Award

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