Do You Know the Cucuy?/Conoces al Cucuy? Book

Entertaining bilingual book introduces children to the legendary (and usually scary) Cucuy—a tall, furry, three-eyed, four-armed monster with a mouth full of huge teeth. Papo tells his granddaughter the Cucuy will take her away if she doesn't behave but one day she meets him & learns he is not the frightful beast Papo described.

Kirkus Reviews

In an attempt to allay children's fears of the Cucuy, Galindo gives the bogeyman of Latin American lore a makeover. Told by her Papo that the Cucuy is a monster who takes misbehaving children away, the young protagonist's fears dissipate when she meets the real Cucuy, a "cute," fuzzy blue creature whose "socks never match." The two proceed to have a play date: skipping rope, climbing trees, dancing and indulging in candy and corn. Despite the life-like rendering and attention to perspective in Coombs's illustrations, the realism diminishes Cucuy's appeal as a playful, mythological creature. The sparse design also lacks compositional depth and cultural weight. Readers who enjoy the thrill of a harrowing tale will be disappointed to find such a sugary-sweet Cucuy in this bilingual story. (Picture book. 4-7)