BOOK REVIEWS
Mexican Folk Art From Oaxaca Artist Families by Arden Aibel Rothstein & Anya Leah Rothstien. Published 2002 by Schiffer, hardback, 224 pages, $39.95, ISBN 0-7643-1598-6, many b/w and Color photos.
We always look forward to new books from Schiffer - they always have interesting topics. This book is great for people who love Oaxaca folk art or students who are doing research. The book highlights jewelry, candles, baskets, dried flowers, woodcarving, toys, miniatures, textiles, metal, ceramics, and corn husk figures. There is a bibliography, glossary, family trees,maps, shops and gallery list and the all important price list. It is probably everything you wanted to know about the region but didn’t know enough to ask.
There are plenty of pictures of the artists and their work. This is a huge undertaking and the authors are to be congratulated for helping the reader understand the people and arts of the region. A great book to own. We wish more regions were done like this.

Casa Guatemalteca by Katia Niesiolowska. Published by Villegas Editores with second printing 2001. 245 pages in color with many photos, ISBN958-9393-71-3, hardback, $65.
This would be an elegant holiday present for someone’s coffee table. This book shows the gardens, houses, and interiors of Guatemala. It is elegant. There is a bibliography and the background material on the traditions and area is impressive. Unfortunately the resulting impression of the book is to get on a plane a good see for yourself. There are grand vistas from elegant rooms. If you do anything with interior decoration or just love to look at beautiful houses and rooms, this is a book for you.
Editors Note: This book and the one before may be a little difficult to find but call Hispaniae at 505-244-1533.

Comida Sabrosa: Home-Style Southwestern Cooking by Irene Sanchez and Glorida Sanchez Yund. Re-release in spiral bound by University of New Mexico Press, 2001, 154 pages, illustrated in b/w, Spiral soft, ISBN 0-8263-2486-3, $12.95.
This was a classic cookbook first published in1982 and is now out in an easy to use spiral form. The authors are sisters-in-law and Irene is the wife of straw artist Charlie Sanchez of Tomé. His sister is the other author. The nice thing about this cookbook is that it tells you how to do it. Not just the recipe but the proceedure. It also has recipes that go from basic and simple to hard. It has something for everyone and makes a great gift. It has a Glossary for those cooks new to New Mexican cooking. It was a classic in 1982 and still is.

Ay Pollito by Candace Vargas, J&R Vargas Productions,PO Box 3982, Fairview, NM 87533. (505) 753-1623. 2002; $15.
We saw Nick Herrera at the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s Chile Festival and he said here is a present for you — it’s great. So never discounting anything Nick says we listened. Candace lives in Fairview, New Mexico with her parents Joel and Ruth Ann. We called to get more information on the young lady.The CD is a nice taste of New Mexico music from a young voice. Steve Chavez has put together a back up band that is really fun to hear. The CD is a local product and may be hard to find. It may make a nice Christmas present for an aspiring singer in your house.
First published in Tradicion Revista, Volume 7, No. 4, Winter 2002.
Copyright 2002. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.