The Legend of the Quetzal - Tales and Tunes of Latin AmericaFall 2007 Storytelling
When crises arise, talking and listening to each other can go a long way to help avoid fighting and to help solve practically any problem. This message is the underlying theme of the stories and songs on this CD, beginning with the title story (The Legend of the Quetzal) in which an insignificant creature saves the entire village through its bravery and willingness to give its life for others-even after bigger creatures have demonstrated their cowardice. The Little Cockroach shows the potential bad effects of greed and the benefits of forgiveness. In The Tiger and the Armadillo, Tiger annoyed Armadillo and then provoked a fight. Armadillo defensively formed an army of four-legged creatures, bees, hornets, and mosquitoes-who cleverly assisted in a victorious battle against Tiger. Ah, but if each of these villains had only paused for a "conversation" before the provoca-tion, such fights might have been avoided!
Young's musical presentation of each story and song enlivens the narration as it impassions the listeners. Her introductions and accompanying songs help young learners associate Spanish words with their English equiva-lents via repetitions in both Spanish and English. The liner leaflet additionally offers the words for the songs in both languages.