Mayte and the Bogeyman | Mayte y el Cuco

Written by Ada Gonzalez | Piñata Books
Ages 3 to 7 | ISBN 978-1558854420

Mayte enjoys interacting with all of the colorful street vendors who ply their wares in her town–the produce man, the egg seller, the knife sharpener, the newspaper delivery boy. All are friendly, kind, and interesting in various ways, except for the sour and bad-tempered ice cream man. Don Aparicio constantly mutters about naughty children who need to be taught a lesson. Mayte comes to believe that he is the Bogeyman (el Cuco) who kidnaps bad children and eats them or sells them at market. When she and her friend Pepito see the man walking down the street with a squirming bag slung over his shoulder, they assume the worst and devise a reckless plan to save the captive child in the bag. Much hilarity ensues when the Bogeyman's bag turns out to contain a couple of chickens. This fun story has an interesting enough plotline to satisfy even reluctant readers. The large illustrations depicting the various Latino characters in dynamic settings will also serve to draw in readers of all skill levels.