Dance of the Animals: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale

Dance of the Animals: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale. Pura Belpré. Illus. by Paul Galdone. New York: Frederick Warne and Co., Inc., 1972. 32 pages. $4.50 (Reinforced Binding). ISBN 978-0723260394. Grades K- 3. English with some Spanish.

Size and strength do not equal brains. Señor Dog and Señor Goat prove this fact in the Puerto Rican folk tale Dance of the Animals by Pura Belpré. Times were tough for the animals in their jungle and everyone was hungry. Señor and Señora Lion felt entitled to meat since they were the biggest and strongest. In order to snag their favorite meat invited their animal neighbors to a dance; with a fire pit conveniently placed near the dance floor. They hoped that their goat would ‘accidentally’ dance their way in to it. Señors Dog and Goat get suspicious and smartly foil the plan. This fun story of underdogs and wit introduces Spanish language and the traditional folk tale form to its readers. The simple, sketched illustrations of Paul Galdone capture the action without taking away from the tale. Although the text is date, the story is timeless. Recommended.