Petra Mathers

Left alone to graze, Borreguita outsmarts the fierce coyote who thinks the small lamb would be a tasty lunch. This tale from Ayutla, Mexico, is retold with sly humor and illustrated with dramatic, full color illustrations.

In their tiny Mexican village, Nanita's cobbler father works so hard that he has no time to smile, much less make Nanita a pair of new shoes. Nanita decides to take on the task herself, fashioning multicolored shoes out of leather scraps. The magic shoes lead her to the desert, but soon she is forced to become the servant of a cruel ranchero, who loves to eat flan. Nanita becomes an expert flan chef — but will she ever find her way home? An engaging addition to units on traditional Mexican foods and magical realism.