La Leyenda de la Sirena Colombiana / The Legend of the Colombian Mermaid

Description

Judith y su hermanito crecen oyendo la leyenda de la sirena, una niña que se convirtió en sirena cuando desobedeció a sus padres porque se fue a nadar en el rio un Viernes Santo. Por ello la sirena se robaba los niños del rio y los convertía en sirenas. Cuando el hermanito de Judith se desaparece del rio, Judith tiene que rescatarlo de la sirena antes que sea demasiado tarde. ||| ENGLISH: The Legend of the Colombian Mermaid is a magical children’s book teaching an excellent lesson on family values, inspiration, and obedience. The story is based on the legend of La Sirena De Hurtado, in Valledupar, Colombia. As a child, it was my favorite bedtime story, what I now realize is that not only the tale entertaining, but it also teaches an important message. The main idea is that the treasure of family is more important than the treasure of gold. Judith and her brother grow up hearing about the legend of La Sirena, a young girl who turned into a mermaid after she defied her parents and went swimming in the river on Good Friday. Legend says La Sirena is known for stealing children from the river and turning them into mermaids. When Judith’s brother goes missing from the river, Judith must rescue him from La Sirena before it’s too late. A teacher’s guide with vocabulary words and comprehension questions is included in the book to help parents, educators, and students dig deeper into this fascinating, hundred-year-old legend. Additional learning activities that go along with the book are available on my website:Janetballetta.com.

About the Author:
Janet Balletta; Translated by Maritza M. Mejia

Janet Balletta was born in Brooklyn, New York to Colombian and Puerto Rican parents. She was raised Catholic in Queens, New York. Janet moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 1993 and worked as an Administrative Assistant and K-2 ESOL Teacher for Palm Beach County Schools from 1993 to 2006. She currently lives and works as a bilingual first-grade teacher in Port St. Lucie, FL. Janet was inspired by her family to write, The Legend of the Colombian Mermaid y La Leyenda de la Sirena Colombiana, which is based on the legend of La Sirena De Hurtado, in Valledupar, Colombia in 2013. She wrote her second book, The Legend of Roberto Cofresí - A Puerto Rican Hero y La Leyenda de Roberto Cofesi – Un héreo de Puerto Rico, which is based on the famous corsair from Puerto Rico in 2015 & 2016 respectively. Janet is passionate about literacy and fascinated by legends. She hopes her English & Spanish books will inspire children to develop a passion for bilingual and multicultural literature.