Stories from the Caribbean

This book of Caribbean tales, collected and retold by Breinburg (who was born and brought up in Surinam) has an authentic Caribbean flavour, particularly in the storytelling style. The stories are drawn from a wider ethnic range than usual, and includes the indigenous Arawak Indians as well as the migrant Indian communities from Asia. There is in the choice of stories and authorial comments, and underlying validation and celebration of the cultural retentions, particularly of those people whose roots lay in Africa and the Americas, in spite of centuries of oppression. Each story is preceded by a short introduction, a map pinpointing its place of origin in the Caribbean, a short glossary and a section on suggested further reading and activities. The six stories are a mixture of folk tales, myths, legends, and contemporary ghost stories, one or two of which may be too scary for younger children. The book is warmly and imaginatively illustrated, and together with the design and layout make the book 'user friendly' and a valuable classroom resource.