The magic of Rueben Martínez’s Once Upon a Time/Habia Una Vez is not just that Martínez is introducing folklore to an audience that may be experience these stories for the first time, but the warmth and familiarity they evoke, regardless of how new or old these stories may be to the reader. There is an excellent range of tales amongst the seven that Martínez has compiled, covering many topics and styles; there are anthropomorphic animals, a protective Mother Nature, princes and kings, and a battle with a giant. Raúl Colón’s illustrations, too, are stunning addition to the collection; they have amazing texture and capture the colors of the countries from where these stories originate.
This book should be seen as both entertainment and an outstanding learning tool. By using the English on the left-hand side of the page and Spanish on the right, teachers and parents can introduce English-speaking children to Spanish or for ESL learners to improve their English language skills. Additionally, educators can use this Once Upon a Time/Habia Una Vez as an opportunity to discuss other cultures or for their students to reflect on the folktales they’ve heard and their similarities to these tales. Martínez has included endnotes to every tale, further explaining the origin of each tale, including why the tale is popular and variations in the title or within the story that might appear in other areas of the world. ( )