Martina the Beautiful Cockroach Finds Out the Value of her Grandmother's Advice

I’ve read picture books about all sorts of different animals, but cockroaches are not subjects I’ve run across much, particularly in a complimentary light, so I was intrigued when I happened upon Martina the Beautiful Cockroach at the library. Granted, this is a Cuban Cockroach, which looks a lot different than the dark forms one usually sees scuttling about seedy apartment buildings. Martina and her family members are an iridescent shade of green, which is lovely in itself, so it’s not quite such a stretch to see how she could be considered beautiful. Nonetheless, I must commend illustrator Michael Austin for so successfully eradicating my preconceived prejudices against cockroaches with his gorgeous paintings. If he hadn’t managed so well, it would have been harder to accept Carmen Agra Deedy’s gentle retelling of the Cuban folktale.

Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha is 21 days old when this story begins. Like Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin, she now faces the daunting task of choosing a husband. Martina, unlike Jasmine, doesn’t seem particularly opposed to the idea, but she still wants to be sure she doesn’t get stuck with a lousy husband, so she reluctantly follows her wise grandmother’s strange advice to spill coffee on each potential suitor’s shoes. “It will make him angry,” her grandmother explains. “Then you’ll know how he will speak to you when he loses his temper.”

As is often the case in anthropomorphic stories, Martina faces an odd assortment of suitors indeed. A rooster, a pig and a lizard all come to call, and each seems absurdly inappropriate by virtue of his size alone, but each also has character flaws that are revealed with the simple administration of The Coffee Test. Where, in all of Havana, is Martina to find a husband who will treat her with respect even when she makes a klutz of herself?

This is a sweet story with a very specific cultural flavor. Sprinkled throughout the book are Spanish words: una peineta (a seashell comb), una mantilla (a lace shawl), un consejo increible (some shocking advice), el perico (the parrot), mi amor (my love). The opening two-page illustration also includes several products like Frijoles Negros (Black Beans) and pasta named for Romeo and Juliet, a nod to the romantic nature of this story.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach emphasizes the importance of looking beyond surface appearances when embarking upon a romance and making sure you know how your potential partner is likely to react to a bad situation. These humorously enforced lessons combine with the intricate illustrations to make this a book as beautiful as its main character.