# 13- Cuckoo/ Cucú (2000)

Cuckoo/ Cucú (2000)

Lois Ehlert

This eloquently narrated folktale features paper cutout images in bright colors paired in striking contrast. The birds in the story are constructed using metallic brads, so that the reader imagines the ways in which the characters can be moved around, perhaps inspiring them to make their own models. Ehlert uses a metallic silver tone to highlight parts of the illustrations. A few of the full page spreads look much like papel picado, depicting scenes in the story.

This bilingual text features English on the top of each page with a translation in Spanish underneath that captures the message well.

The heroine, a bird who sacrifices her beautiful plumage to save her people, shows readers that “no se puede juzgar un pájaro por su plumaje/ You can’t judge a bird by its feathers.”