Lulu Delacre
Bilingual Author and Illustrator of Children's Books Since 1980
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Golden Tales: Myths, Legends and Folktales from Latin AmericaThe Resarch Behind
I conducted research in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Since many of the original versions of the tales that were written in old Spanish were not meant for children, I also had the additional challenge of retelling them in a way that would appeal to young readers. About the Art
To convey the mystery and magic that many of the tales possess, I decided to paint in oils. And in the effort to get closer to the art forms used by the specific indigenous cultures, I used linocuts to reproduce some of the early design motifs that had originally been carved into bone, stone, and wood– or woven into cloth. 
The geometric motifs behind the god, from top to bottom, represent clouds, hail, rain, and wind. They were talken from the stonework at Mitla. |
The cast of Burnt Mills 5th grade's play How the Rainbow was Born
Bringing a Story to LifeOne way to bring a story to life is to write a play for your fifth grade class based on one of the stories in Golden Tales. Another is to make a craft after reading and discussing one of the tales. At the Ponce Museum of Art in Puerto Rico a workshop was created inspired by the tale "The Eleven Thousand Virgins," a Puerto Rican Legend from 1797. The legend is read aloud then, the children are given play dough to create small human figures holding a birthday candle. All play dough figures, short and tall, are placed on a long table to form a procession. Finally and adult lights the candles to "commemorate the miraculous vigil of that night when only courage, faith– and eleven thousand lights– saved the city" of San Juan. |
