A very cute book, which collects what are probably the most juvenile ballads, poems and songs that Federico García Lorca has written into one volume. While the book was massive in size, this is only due to the great amount of drawings and big font size - the truth is that most of the poems are very short. For this reason, I am finding it difficult to review this book. I'm not sure I have yet discerned a common thread among Lorca's writings. All I see is trees, trees, trees, but it takes more effort than usual to see the forest. Perhaps the only thing that does shine through all the verses is Lorca's love for all things living, all things innocent, all things pure: he talks about giggling children, shiny new toys, yellow autumn leaves, and clear water. He talks about green-eyed girls in pretty blue dresses, shiny stars and shiny eyes, small insects and big elephants, tiny houses and long towers. His love for children, animals and all nature is transparent. I wouldn't call it a "fascinating" read, but these verses are a delight to read before going to sleep - my guess is that they're made of the same stuff that dreams are made of. Recommended particularly for small children, who tend to be better than us at giving simple, everyday things mythical proportions.

And I must mention the lovely illustrations by Alicia Cañas Cortazar, who manages to see the world through the eyes of children, and makes the poems twice as magical.

-Y comadre, ¿no le dijo nada?
-la preguntan dos voces a un tiempo.

-Al pasar me miró sonriente
y una estrella dejóme aquí dentro.

-¿Dónde tienes guardada esa estrella?
-la pregunta un chiquillo travieso.

-¿Se ha apagado - dijéronle otros -
como cosa de un encantamiento?

-No, hijos míos, la estrella relumbra,
que en el alma clavada 1a llevo.

-¿Cómo son las estrellas aquí?
-Hijo mío, igual que en el cielo.

**Disclaimer: read in the original Spanish - have no idea how the verses would sound in translation** ( )