Mayan Folktales, Cuentos folklóricos mayas

Susan Thompson, Associate Professor of education at the University of Wyoming, former elementary teacher, and author, has written a number of books, as well as numerous journal articles.Keith Thompson is an interpreter, University of Wyoming, Habitat for Humanity, and Water for the Americas.Lidia López de López is a storyteller in Sacatepequez, Guatemala.

This volume follows a familiar textbook structure--a brief history, followed by a solid and comprehensive compilation of folktales. What makes it unique is the editors' thorough research and their commitment to the culture's oral tradition. Most of the tales were recorded from regional storytellers and all have a Spanish translation. Many of the tales make excellent additions to a storyteller's repertoire, and the introduction and the full-color pictures give sufficient material for reports for older students. Noteworthy among the tales of gods, animals, and the supernatural is the Hansel and Gretel-like story of The Two Orphans, but it is the Mayan version of The Weeping Women/LA Llorona that will garner the most reader (or listener) interest.