"Fairy Trails" By: Susan Meddleton Elya

Rating: 4/5
Grade Level: 1st Grade and above
Illustrated By: Mercedes McDonald

I was pleasantly surprised while reading "Fairy Trails". I thoroughly enjoyed Susan's incorporation of the classic fairy tales into one story. This story is about Miguel and Maria and the encounters they have on their way to their Aunt's house. On their way they run into the Hansel and Grettle witch, the big bad wolf, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, Cinderella, the three bears, and Humpty Dumpty. Also throughout the course of the book there are Spanish words included. I think that this adds an extra unexpected aspect to the story, and I was pleasantly surprised by this cultural edition. I really enjoyed how this book combines the classic American fairy tale culture with Spanish culture. I think that this book would be a good aspect in a classroom environment and demonstrate to students the coming together of multiple cultures through the use of literature. This book would also be a good transition from classic American tales into tales of others cultures or heritages. I think that the illustrations in the book are really unique; the illustrator is able to transform these classic images into something new that can be incorporated into Spanish heritage. The way these Spanish words are incorporated give suggestions to the reader on what they mean without directly explaining the connection. The language of this story is very appealing to auditory senses and the rhyme schemes keep the reader entertained and want to move forward in the story.