Martina is a story about a cockroach that is apple of everyone's eye. When many suitors catch wind that she is ready to be married, many attempt and fail for they may have everything on the outside, but not what really counts on the inside. With the help of her Grandma's never-fail test, she easily weeds out the bad, until she finally finds the one who is actually very similar to her own values.
Composition: The illustrations in this book were absolutely breathtaking and how it added depth to the story was magnificent. The deep yet bright rich colors of characters and setting. The texture of the scales on the lizard, the folds of the layers on the cockroaches bodies, and the details on the leaves made the story seem more realistic.
Setting: The setting was from above and the view would change with the help of the illustrations. The Cuban setting and the grandma always there added to the familial feel of their culture.
Characters: Grandma was the most interesting character and to me the most influential. She always had Martina’s best interest in mind and shows the experience she may have had with previous suitors in her days as a young cockroach. Her word is most important to Martina showing how in the Cuban culture they value their elders the most.
Style: The style of the story and the illustrations combined made a great book for children of all ages. Everything fit together so well, from viewpoints, colors, the different language (Spanish) added in to Cuban vibe.
Deedy, C.A. 2007. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach. Atlanta: Peachtree.
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