REVIEWS "A bilingual collection of 15 traditional tales from Latin America, arranged into four sections: Scary Stories, Trickster Tales, Strong Women, and Myths. Extensive notes about sources and variants make this a particularly useful resource in classrooms."

"Olga Loya has brought us fifteen delightful tales from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and other Latin American nations and cultures. Loya has been telling stories professionally for twenty years, and though Mexican by heritage, she nonetheless is equally skilled in retelling tales from Chile, Argentina, the US southwest, the Caribbean and central and South America. This volume offers four categories of tales: Tales of the supernatural, stories of animal tricksters, tales of strong and resilient women, and myths of the Aztecs and Mayans. Some, such as La Llorona (the weeping woman) and the Virgin of Guadalupe, are familiar and well known to us. Others, such as the Flying Skeleton (also from Mexico) are less familiar. One of the most unusual is The Rooster's Claw (Columbia), which will remind many of the literary classic, the Monkey's Paw. This reviewer especially appreciated her inclusion of pre-conquest myths including the Aztec Hungry Goddess and the Mayan tale of the origin of human beings. Loya first tells each story in English, followed by her Spanish translation, making this volume both truly bilingual and validly multicultural. In Mexico, after a particularly interesting story is told well, they complement the teller by saying: Buenos Cuentos, buenos amigos (Good stories, good friends). Olga Loya truly deserves this accolade, as does her collection, which will bring magic moments to us all."

"This gathering of folktales reflects its Latin American cultural roots, blending Indian, Spanish, and African influences in fifteen stories pursued in English and Spanish. Enjoy a collection which is varied in content and steeped in ethnic traditions: a literary collection appealing to all ages."

"These fifteen tales from Latin America, told in both English and Spanish, range from scary stories to trickster tales; from strong women to ancient creation myths. Loya's characters are humorous and animated, and tell the tales with their own magic voices. With an introduction and concluding story notes."

"One Sunday afternoon as a Northwest rain was pelting down, I read this book aloud to an entire family: parents, grandparents, and children ages five to 19. Even the football game was put on hold. Loya's collection is charmingly oral in its resonance (as befits the world-class storyteller that she is) and compadres assure me that the accompanying Spanish version roll with equal rhythm and chuckling grace. She organizes 15 stories from assorted Latino cultures, including some she heard at the feet of her Mexican relatives, into a framework that embraces such subjects as ghosts, tricksters, strong women, and Aztec and Mayan mythology. Her words paint vivid pictures-whether it's skeletons flying into the night, a Coyote story, or the miraculous appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Loya includes a generous appendix referring to other published versions, as well as her own cultural notes. August House can be counted on to deliver stories worth hearing again and again, and this is one of their best yet."

"In Latin American culture-with its blend of Indian, Spanish, Catholic, and African influence-magic is a part of the everyday world. Momentos magicos, or magic moments, can come in many forms. For storyteller Olga Loya, magic occurs every time an ancient story is passed from teller to listener.

The fifteen stories here are full of momentos magicos. Presented in equally vibrant English and Spanish, they include stories of the supernatural, such as the Mexican tale of the Llorona, the Wailing Woman; of animals and tricksters, such as the Mayan story of how Monkey tricked Crocodile; of strong women, like Bianca Flor, or White Flower; and myths, such as La Diosa Hambrienta, the hungry goddess.

In stories from Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, the Yucatan, Nicaragua, Baja California, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the Mayan Popol Vhu, Olga Loya works her magic to create humorous, vital, and powerful renditions of centuries-old legends."



"Storytelling, an ancient art that has remained popular throughout the centuries, is not, as demonstrated in this fine anthology of bilingual folktales, mere homespun entertainment, but--much more important--a vital part of our cultural traditions and historical heritage.

This collection, gathered and researched by a consummate storyteller, has tales from Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico,

Nicaragua, Guatemala, and some from the Chol, Aztec, and Mayan peoples. The entries are divided into Scary Stories, Tricksters, Strong Women, and Myths. As in many other cultures, animals such as rabbits, monkeys, alligators, etc., are popular in Latin American folktales such as these. At the beginning of each story, Loya tells how she came to learn of it. The glossaries at the end of the English versions give the meaning of the Spanish terms used in them. The story notes at the end of the book are particularly interesting and useful, as they give additional insight into the tales and provide bibliographic leads to version of the stories and characters in other cultures or eras.

Loya is clearly a compelling storyteller as well as a thorough researcher, and her book is a fine example of storytelling at its best. Bilingual readers, in particular, will enjoy comparing the fine nuances in meaning between the two languages. I found the translations, as a whole, to be accurate and of high quality....The fifteen tales in this delightful collection will be enjoyed, particularly by bilingual readers, those learning either of the two languages, and anyone interested in Latin American folklore."

"In this bilingual collection of traditional tales from Latin America, storyteller Loya divides her retellings into four categories: Scary Stories, Tricksters, Strong Women, and Myths. Each of the fifteen stories (presented first in English, followed by a Spanish version) is introduced with a brief note explaining where Loya first encountered the tale; specific story notes with written sources and cultural variants are given at the end of the book. Within each category, Loya presents these folktales as if she is arranging a storytelling performance, starting out with an attention-grabbing dramatic tale, followed by a gentler, more introspective piece, then usually a humorous entry, and finally a strong concluding tale. From the tragic "La Llorona" from Mexico to the funny "Tia Miseria" from Puerto Rico to the sly "Uncle Rabbit and Uncle Tiger" from Nicaragua, Loya's collection has something for everyone. The style is distinctly conversational and the occasionally slow pace is more than compensated for by the immediacy of the language and the variety of the content. The stories cover a wide range of emotion and appeal, and they will be exceedingly useful to readers aloud and storytellers, as well as to those readers looking for an unusual cultural foray."

"A charming bilingual collection of 15 Latin American folktales retold by a popular Mexican-American performance artist. Several are variants of stories familiar to us from such earlier taletellers as Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen, and Joel Chandler Harries (e.g., "The Monkey and the Crocodile," "Uncle Rabbit and Uncle Tiger"). More specifically indigenous material invludes the famous "The Virgin of Guadalupe," a selection of Aztec and Mayan creation myths, and some genuinely creepy ghost stories (especially the wonderful "The Rooster's Claw"). A very attractive volume, and an ideal holiday gift."

"In the growing, but still sparsely populated landscape of bilingual (Spanish-English) storytelling, Magic Moments is a landmark. From the cover illustration (a sassy, scrawny hare instead of a fluffy-cute little Easter bunny) readers can be sure that Olga Loya is giving the straight stories here, not just some watered-down, gussied-up confections. The fifteen stories include myths and legends, tales of tricky animals and strong women, and tales of fancy and supernatural. They originate in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Colombia, as well as the ancient cultures of the Maya, Choi, and Aztec."