FAIRY TRAILS
by Susan Middleton Elya & illustrated by Mercedes McDonald
More sedate and episodic than her marvelous Oh, No! Gotta Go! (2003), this new offering employs Elya’s smooth bilingualism—English with Spanish words mixed neatly in—to relate the tale of a brother and sister who interact with a series of fairy tale characters—Hansel and Gretel’s witch, the big bad wolf, Snow White and the seven dwarfs—on a walk to their aunt’s house. Elya’s rhymes flow nicely, and McDonald’s illustrations employ rounded heads and facial features in luminous colors to convey a dream sense of well-being even when danger purportedly threatens. Young readers and listeners will enjoy identifying the original stories as Miguel and María make their journey. A glossary and pronunciation guide to Spanish terms precedes the story, but is rendered unnecessary by Elya’s self-explicative text. (Picture book. 4-8)