Keys to Exploring Latino Cultures: Folktales for Children.
Abstract With “Keys to Exploring Latino Cultures: Folktales for Children,” Professor Perez-Stable gives readers a sample of the rich Hispanic folktales currently available for children. The folktales come in colorfully illustrated picture books, making them all the more enjoyable to read. Although the largest group of folktales falls into the category of creation and religious stories, all can be integrated into the social studies curriculum in one fashion or another. As delightful as these folktales, legends, fables, and myths may be, however, a real possibility of misusing this valuable resource exists. Too often the ambiguity of the subject area results in a hodgepodge of curriculum “odds and ends,” with social studies becoming whatever one wants it to be. Folktales should enhance but not replace or interrupt a social studies program. Indeed, the potential for reinforcing Hispanic stereotypes is strong if the folktales are not understood within an appropriate historical, geographical, and social contex...