La Sirena del Desierto

Blanco's poetic narrative--presented in both English and Spanish--introduces a lonely mermaid living on one of the few remaining oases in Mexico's Sonora Desert. One day, an old man appears and tells her that the rest of the desert mermaids have disappeared because ``they forgot their songs.'' Aided by the man's magical horse and an enchanted silver crown, the mermaid begins a quest to reclaim the lost songs. On her journey she encounters some helpful animals who, in turn, show her the tunes, words, a guitar and the rhythm she needs to recreate the music and recover her people. Paschke's deft translation captures the gracefulness of Blanco's original Spanish text. Like the missing songs, this tale has an uncommon melody, making it a good choice for reading aloud. Photos of tapestry artist Revah's finely textured needlework provide elegant illustrations. Ages 5-12. (June)