Cuentos pulga. (Tiny Tales)

Reviewed by Esmeralda Rios, Adult Services, Herrick District Library, Holland, MI -- Críticas, 4/1/2008

Blanco, Riki.
illus. by author. Spain: Thule, dist. by IPG. 2006. 40p. ISBN 84-96473-44-9. $16.95.

Gr 4+–In this collection of sketches, circus personalities live haunted by their ironic twists of fate. Capirote, the human bullet, refuses to be shot from the cannon unless the love of his life lights the match that will send him hurling through the air. Regina, the trapeze artist who Capirote has set his sights on, suffers from vertigo and cannot bear the thought of leaving the safety of her perch. Other tales include that of the introverted contortionist who manages to crawl into her own navel and never be seen again and the shadow maker who is eclipsed by his own shadow. The characters suffer unique circumstances, yet their lives are helplessly intertwined. Appropriate for older readers able to grasp concepts of irony and fate, these tales are well paired with dark, ominous-looking acrylic illustrations. Written in proper Spanish, this title will be a good secondary purchase for school libraries.