Listen to your parents or el Cucuy--the Bogeyman--might get you!

Hazle caso a tus papás, o puede ser que el Cucuy venga por ti!

So, you've been in trouble. Your parents tell you they're calling the bogeyman. You laugh. There's no such thing!

Then--you hear a sharp knock. Standing at the door is the oldest man you have ever seen. It's el Cucuy (coo-COO-ee)! With that big red ear, he hears everything!

In this cautionary tale, storyteller Joe Hayes tells readers about two girls who didn't believe in el Cucuy until he snatched them up. But of course, the story has a happy ending.

Con que haz estado haciendo travesuras. Tus papás te dicen que le van a hablar al Cucuy. Te riés. No existe!

Entonces: escuchas un fuerte golpe en la puerta. Y ahí esta el hombre más viejo que jamas haz visto. Es el Cucuy! Con esa gran oreja roja, escucha todo!

En esta historia admonitoria, el cuentista Joe Hayes habla de dos niñas que no creyeron en el Cucuy hasta que se las robo. Pero claro, el cuento tiene un final feliz.

Hayes, Joe

Joe Hayes is one of America's premier storytellers. He grew up in a small town in southern Arizona and developed a lifelong interest in the cultures and creatures of the region. As Hayes got older, he began reading the work of folklorists and anthropologists and gathering the old stories from the Southwest region. His books for young readers have received numerous awards. He lives in New Mexico.

Robledo Tapia, Honorio

Honorio Robledo, artist and musician, has illustrated four Lee & Low books: ¡El Cucuy!, Nico Visits the Moon and The Dog Child with the imprint Cinco Puntos Press, and Super Cilantro Girl with Children's Book Press. He and his wife Luana moved to Mexico many years ago so their children could grow up barefoot.