Cocorí facts for kids
Cocorí is a very famous children's book from Costa Rica. It was written by a well-known author named Joaquín Gutiérrez. Many people think it's his most popular children's story.
The book was first published in 1947. It is one of the best children's books in Costa Rica. In fact, all primary school students in Costa Rica are required to read it! Cocorí has been translated into ten different languages. It has also been made into a play many times. These plays have been performed in countries like Germany, Czech Republic, Mexico, and seven other nations.
The Story of Cocorí
The story of Cocorí is about a small black boy named Cocorí. He lives on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. One day, he meets a blonde girl who is a tourist. She gives him a beautiful rose. In return, she asks Cocorí to bring her a squirrel monkey.
Cocorí really likes the girl. He wants to keep his promise. So, he sets a trap to catch a squirrel monkey. He uses rice and a coconut for the trap. When he returns to where he saw the girl, her boat is gone. She has left!
Cocorí goes back home. He finds that the rose the girl gave him has wilted and died. He feels sad and confused. He asks his mother, Drusila, why the rose lived for such a short time. He wonders why other things last much, much longer. His mother doesn't know the answer.
So, Cocorí runs around his village. He asks all his neighbors the same question. But none of them know why the rose died so quickly. Next, he asks his friend, Doña Madorra the turtle. She doesn't know either.
Doña Madorra decides to help Cocorí. She takes him and the squirrel monkey into the jungle. They ask some very old and wise animals. These animals include Don Torcuato the alligator and Talamanca the bocaracá, which is a type of snake.
After asking the alligator and the snake, Cocorí finally gets an answer from a character called El Negro Cantor. He learns an important lesson about life and time. When Cocorí returns home, he finds a wonderful surprise. His mother, Drusila, had planted the stem of the wilted rose. From that stem, a new rose bush has grown!
See also
In Spanish: Cocorí (libro) para niños
