LIGHT FOOT/PIES LIGEROS

Taking her father’s eerie engravings featuring Death jumping rope with Man and various animals as inspiration, the writer spins an original story that has a traditional rhythm. When people and animals threaten to overpopulate the earth, Death tries to fix the problem by daring everyone to jump rope with her. First winning Man’s shoes and then conquering all the rest of the animals with her immortality, Death is finally tricked by the lowly grasshopper. Originally written in Zapotec, an indigenous language spoken in Oaxaca, Mexico and published in Mexico in a bilingual version including the Spanish text, this version features English and Spanish texts that both read well, although the rhyming sections are often quite different. Toledo is a well-known Oaxacan artist, and his powerful prints are not for the faint-of-heart. The earthy colors, the sense of movement and the unusual images of Death provide a sophisticated visual experience, and the story invites oral activities and dramatic play. In the hands of a creative teacher or librarian, this could be a strong starting point for an exploration of the symbolic image of Death in different cultures. (Picture book. 8-12)