PLATERO Y YO (PLATERO AND I), by Juan Ramon Jimenez. Selected,
translated,
and adapted by Myra Cohn Livingston and Joseph F. Dominguez.  Illustrated
by Antionio Frasconi.  New York:  Clairon Books, 1994.  47 pp.  Bilingual. 
$14.95. 

This children's edition of PLATERO AND I consists of excerpts from Juan
Ramon Jimenez's longer book of 138 chapters.  Jimenez, who won the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1956, published the original book in 1914.  In
this work, Jimenez describes his native village of Moguer, Spain through
the eyes of a poet who roams the countryside, accompanied by faithful
donkey named Platero.  His accounts take on universal appeal because they
reflect humanity's aspirations, emotions, and journeys, both imaginative
and real. 

In an effort to introduce PLATERO Y YO to young readers of either Spanish
or English, Myra Cohn Livingston and Joseph F. Dominguez, both published
poets, have selected 19 chapters from the original volume and translated
them into English, adding a poetic flavor to mirror the rhythm of
Jimenez's Spanish.  Both translators reside in California and share a
passion for literature, Livingston as a poet and Dominguez as a teacher of
Spanish literature. 

The illustrations are provided by Antonio Frasconi, a native of
Montevideo, Uruguay, who has gained recognition for his woodcuts and
linoleum cuts.  Several of his illustrations depict Platero, his poet
companion, and their surroundings as they watch fireworks, roam the
canyon, or participate in Carnival. 

Although Jimenez deals with many themes, the majority of the 19
chapters display a poet's love of nature, a glimpse of village life, and a
celebration of simplicity and innocence.  Each chapter, presented with a
juxtaposed copy of the original Spanish, serves as an anecdote,
independent and enticing for children ages 8-12. 

The poet's relationship with Platero shows man and beast coexisting in
harmony in a bond of mutual friendship and care.  The poet's love for his
animal companion is only one tie he has with the natural world, for he is
equally inspired by the pleasant autumn evenings in the village, the
mother dog who searches for her puppies, the ducks who have the freedom of
flight, and the echo off the red canyon rocks.  The poet also finds beauty
in the natural cycle of life as the frail, old songbird dies and is buried
under a rosebush so that during the celebration of spring, the bird will
come out again in "The heart of a lovely white rose."

Jimenez, besides showing a romanticist's love of nature, presents a vivid
picture of the characters, celebrations, and customs of Moguer, Spain, a
carefree place where people never know "when they are going to have dinner
and when they are going to die." The narrator/poet and Platero encounter
the poor children playing, the young coal seller's daughter who sings a
lullaby, and the baker who delivers bread at noon.  They participate in
the town's festivities--the Christmas bonfires, the Wise Kings' giving of
gifts, and even Carnival--and hence allow readers to experience the
customs of this remote village. 

The book also celebrates simplicity and innocence.  For the poet, being
entranced by the moon as Platero drinks a bucket of water reflecting the
shining stars is a precious although simple experience.  Perhaps equally
valuable is the innocence of children as they, being princes or
princesses, save money to buy a rubber stamp or to see a moving picture,
or race to win a prized picture book from Vienna. 

Hence, through the eyes of a poet and a gentle donkey, readers see a 
side of Spain during the 
late 1800s and early 1900s that they may not have envisioned before.  
For a brief moment, 
PLATERO Y YO makes Spain culture, history, and poetry come alive.

Laura Higgs
English Department
Clemson University