Hosting a Noche de Cuentos event?  It’s easy!  Gather the support of your local school, public library, museum, or community organization and simply plan a storytelling event for the week of March 20th. Promote your event as a Noche de Cuentos with the help of the promotional materials included here (logo, poster, and other printable materials), use the resources suggested or your own, and let us know about your event!

Getting ready-to-tell stories…

The following are ready-to-tell tales of exceptional literary value written in Spanish and English, including out-of-print classics and collections to consider when searching the very best stories to tell.

List of suggested stories  

Click here to get the bibliography in a PDF file

“The Bed” in The Tiger and the Rabbit by Pura Belpré, illustrated by Tomie de Paola.  New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1965. Grades 3-5. (English)

The Blacksmith and the Devils by Maria Cristina Brusca, illustrated by Tona Wilson.  New York: Henry Holt, 1992. Grades 3-6 (Also available in Spanish)

Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from Ayutla by Verna Aardena, illustrated by Petra Mathers. New York: Knopf, 1991. Grades K-3 (English)

The Bossy Gallito/El gallo de bodas: a Traditional Cuban Folktale by Lucía González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. New York: Scholastic, 1994. Grades Pre K-2. (Bilingual)

Cuentos de espantos y aparecidos (Tales About Ghosts and Spectres) edited by Verònica Uribe. Caracas, Venezuela: Ediciones Ekare-Banco del Libro, 1984. Grades 4-8. (Spanish)

Cuentos populares de Iberoamérica by Carmen Bravo-Villasante. Madrid, Spain: Ediciones Gaviota, 1988. Grades 3-8. (Spanish)

Dance, Nana, Dance: Cuban Folktales in English and Spanish by Joe Hayes, illustrated by Mauricio Trenard Sayago. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press, 2008. Grades 3-6.

Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora, illustrated by Raúl Colón . New York: Knopf, 2005. Grades 2-5. (English)

From the Winds of Manguito: Cuban Folktales in English and Spanish/Desde los vientos de manguito: Cuentos folklóricos de Cuba, en inglés y español by Elvia Pérez, illustrated by Victor Francisco Hernández Mora, edited by Margaret Read MacDonald, translated by Paula Martín.  Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. Grades 3-6 (Bilingual)

“The Goat in the Chile Patch” in Multicultural Folktales: Stories to Tell Young Children by Judy Sierra and Robert Kaminski. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1991. Grades Pre K-2 (Also available in Spanish)

“How Uncle Rabbit Tricked Uncle Tiger” in Señor Cat’s Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America by Lucía M. González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. New York: Scholastic 1997. This particular story is recommended for Grades 1-4. (Also available in Spanish)

Juan Bobo: Four Folktales from Puerto Rico by Carmen Bernier-Grand, illustrated by Ernesto Remos Nieves. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. Grades 1-3. (Also available in Spanish)

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales. New York: Chronicle, 2003. Grades 1-3. (English)

“The Little Crab and the Magic Eyes” in Twenty Tellable Tales: Audience Participation Tales for the Beginning Storyteller by Margaret Read MacDonald, illustrated by Roxane Murphy.  Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2005. Grades K-2.

“The Little Half Chick” in Señor Cat’s Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America by Lucía M. González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. New York: Scholastic 1997. This particular story is appropriate for Grades K-2. (Also available in Spanish)

The Lizard and the Sun/La lagartija y el sol: A Folktale in English and Spanish byAlma Flor Ada, illustrated by Felipe Dávalos. New York: Double Day, 1997. Grades 1-3. (Bilingual)

Martina, the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 2008. Grades Pre K-3. (Also available in Spanish)

Pedro Fools the Gringo and Other Tales of a Latin American Trickster by Maria Cristina Brusca, illustrated by Tona Wilson. New York: Henry Holt, 1992. Grades 3-6. (Also available in Spanish)

[Compiled by the REFORMA Noche de Cuentos Task Force, 2010]

Recommended Storytelling Resources       

The Eagle and the Rainbow: Timeless Tales from Mexico. Antonio Hernández. Ill. By Tomie de Paola. Golden: FulcrumKids, 1997.

The Enchanted Raisin. Jacqueline Balcells. Translated by Elizabeth Gamble Miller.  Pittsburgh: Latin American Literary Review Press, 1988.

Fiesta Femenina. Retold by Mary-Jo Gerson. Ill. By Maya Christina Gonzalez. Barefoot Books,  2005.

Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the Maya. Retold by Victor Montejo. Ill. By Luis Garay. Tranlated by David Unger. Groundwood Books, 1999. (English)

Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folklore Collection. Retold by Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy. Ill. By Felipe Dávalos and Susan Guevara, et. al. Atheneum, 2006. (English edition).

Momentos Magicos. By Olga Loya. August House, 1997. Grades K-3.

Recursos en Español:

Cuentos de mi Tía Panchita. Carmen Lyra. Ill. by Juan Manuel Sánchez. Costa Rica: Editorial Costa Rica, 2000.

Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas: Cuentos populares Hispánicos. Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy. Ill. By Felipe Dávalos and Susan Guevara, et.al. Atheneum, 2006.

Habia una vez 26 cuentos. Pilar Almoina de Carrera. Ill. De Peli Zuñiga. Colección  Zaranda. Caracas: Ekaré, 1985.

Popol Vuh. Libro Sagrado de los Maya. Retold by Victor Montejo. Ill. By Luis Garay.  Translated by David Unger. Groundwood Books, 1999. (Spanish).

Las Tres Manzanas de Naranja. Ulalume Gonzalez de Leon. Ill. By Carlos Pellicer López. Coleccion del jicote argueüdero. Mexico City: CIDCLI, Inc, 1985.

[Compiled by the REFORMA Noche de Cuentos Task Force, 2010]

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOUR EVENT!

Promotion

Poster, logos, and artwork for download available here.

Need a performer?

Check out this list of storytellers with contact information.