Brief Summary

Martina must choose a husband now that she is 21 days old. Her abuela insists that she use the coffee test, whereby Martina must spill coffee on her suitors' shoes. She is first approached by a cocky rooster, then a slovenly pig, and finally, a lizard with bad intentions. None intend to treat her with dignity. She finds out just what they're really about when she spills the coffee. The last suitor, a humble mouse, takes the coffee and spills it on himself to save her from shame. 

Reaction

I first read this story during my reading clinical last spring. I love the element of humor, that suitors of all kinds would be breaking down the door to ask for a cockroach's hand in marriage. I love the dialect used in the story that helps students understand what life in Cuba is like (i.e., what sound a rooster makes). This story can be used to teach students that even within the same culture, people are bound to act differently from one another. This will help dispel certain stereotypes.