Deedy, C. A. (2007). Martina
the beautiful cockroach. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.
Martina is a beautiful cockroach and it is her time to
choose a husband. At her grandmother’s insistence, her future husband must pass
“The Coffee Test”. Martina is to pour coffee on her suitor’s shoes to see how
he will react. She soon finds out the true colors of her first three suitors,
none of whom she wishes to marry. When she sees her last suitor, she finds true
love with Mouse when he uses “The Coffee Test” on her.
This is a Cuban Folktale that imparts the lesson of choosing
a husband who is kind at all times. The illustrations bring this story to life.
The amazing paintings make a cockroach beautiful and her suitors brash and
repulsive. The book would be wonderful to help teach about folktales, different
cultures and character traits. The book also utilizes a few words in Spanish
that children would love to learn or share their knowledge concerning the
vocabulary in the story. Early elementary students would enjoy the story, but
lessons could be learned by upper elementary grades also.
2008 Pura Belpre Author Honor Book
2009 Texas Bluebonnet Award
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