A retelling of the Caribbean folktale La cucaracha Martina where Martina, in an effort to escape her noisy tias, slips away to a warm familiar island where she can play in peace and quiet--but is she home at last?

While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julian notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julian gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for...

Collects six short novels from one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century.