The sun lights the day and the moon lights the night, and morning seldom breaks to find them both up in the sky. But when the moon does stay up past dawn, the people of Oaxaca, Mexico, have an explanation: “The moon was at a fiesta.” Once again, Matthew Gollub and Leovigildo Martínez have created a sumptuous original tale set amid the rich folk culture of Mr. Martínez’s own Oaxaca—a tale as exhilarating as a moonlit fiesta full of music, tamales, and paper lanterns.

Set in an indigenous Mixtec village in the artist’s own Oaxaca, Mexico, the story involves an evil healer, a good healer and his extraordinary feline pets. Though some people fear the cats will eat everything in sight—and maybe even set fire to fields—the animals soon prove their worth and win their way into the villagers’ hearts. [Partial description in Spanish: Un curandero regresa del mercado provisto de una camada de gatitos. Pronto los animales se ganan el corazón de todos.]

When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.

According to this Nigerian legend, many, many years ago, the Sun and the Moon lived on Earth. Children will love seeing how they ended up living in the sky.

That’s where her Cuban family comes in. While some of the Cucarachas offer her gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her something really useful: un consejo increíble, some shocking advice. At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela’s unorthodox suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails the Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love. Soon, only the gardener Pérez, a tiny brown mouse, is left. But what will happen when Martina offers him café cubano?

A mosquito annoyed the iguana, who frightened the python, who scared the rabbit?and now the whole jungle is in an uproar because the sun won’t rise. The animals discuss the situation and decide to punish the mosquito. Even today whenever we hear a mosquito buzz, we smack it hard!