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Ninety years ago, in 1932, when Pura Belpré published her landmark gual book, Perez and Martina, she immortalized a folktale that she had learned from her grandmother as a child in Puerto Rico. As she recalled, it "was a favorite of my grandmother, one she had often told me... I put it down just as [she] had told it." The story of Perez and Martina tells of "a beautiful Spanish cockroach, called Martina, and a gallant little mouse called Perez" (Belpré n.d., 1-2). It is a courtship tale, with various suitors attempting, unsuccessfully, to win Martina's hand before the dashing Perez sweeps her off her feet. Like many folktales, its apparent simplicity masks layers of complexity and perceptive insights into the human condition. It is a tale of love and grief, ending not with happily-ever-after wedded bliss but with Perez's tragic death and Martina's song of lamentation.
According to literary scholar and Belpré biographer, Lisa Sánchez González, Perez and Martina is "the first known Latino storybook published by a major English/American press [and] the first known integrally bilingual (Spanish/English) children's book in mainstream publishing history" (Sánchez González 2013). Belpré's significance in the field of children's literature is such that, each year, the American Library Association recognizes, with its Pura Belpré Award, "a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth" (ALSC 2022). This award has ensured that her name has not been forgotten, at least by those in the children's literature world. Nevertheless, few scholars outside the field of Puerto Rican Studies have examined the context in which she created and shared Perez and Martina, her lasting contributions to bilingual literature and bilingual education, and her connections to the field of folklore. Folklore and Bilingual Education
At the core of Belpré's approach to connecting with children was a firm belief that folklore could serve as a critical element in bilingual education. "Folklore is important literature for the bilingual child," Belpré wrote in an unpublished manuscript. "The variety of themes," she continued, "and the very characteristics displayed in folklore portray much of the history- and social patterns from bilingual children's home countries" (Belpré 2013, 217). Belpré recognized that folktales...