A poor man with a wife and five young children to support, Oté often took to the forests nears his home in southeastern Puerto Rico, searching for food. Warned many times by his wife to be on the lookout for the nearsighted devil, he nevertheless found himself - through a combination of hunger and carelessness - saddled with this terrible creature. Soon Oté and his family had reached the brink of starvation, as the devil used his magic to steal their food at every mealtime. Would the old wise woman beyond the hill be able to help them? Would Oté be able to follow her instructions? And what could Chiquitín - the youngest and smallest member of the family - do to help?

The first Puerto Rican to be hired by the New York Public Library, Pura Belpré was instrumental in shaping that institution's services for Spanish-speaking New Yorkers, as well as introducing - through her own writing - English-speaking children to the folklore of her native island. The Pura Belpré Award, which recognizes the work of Latino/Latina children's authors and illustrators, was named in her honor.

In this picture-book - my first by Belpré, but hopefully not my last - the author recalls a tale told to her by her grandfather, producing an exciting and vivid narrative. Paul Galdone's illustrations are colorful and attention-grabbing, although I found them a little dated. Still, Oté was an engaging book, both textually and artistically, and has left me with a desire to read more of Pura Belpré's folktale retellings. ( )