When she was growing up in the Domincan Republic, Julia Alvarez heard many stories about the ciguapas , a secret all-female tribe that lived underwater and was always able to elude human beings because their feet were on backward so they always left tracks going in the oppostie direction. As an adult, Alvarez continued to collect and study ciguapa tales, and has found many variants. The tale she has chosen to retell for children involves Guapa, a curious young ciguapa who can’t resist getting close to humans. Her curiosity almost gets the best of her when she falls smack in the middle of a picnic and, seeing her feet, the humans assume she’s twisted her ankles and send for the doctor. It’s up to Guapa to use her cleverness (and backward feet!) to escape. Richly luminous illustrations aptly portray both the underwater world and the world of human beings. (Ages 3-7)

The Dominican legend of the ciguapas, creatures who lived in underwater caves and whose feet were on backward so that humans couldn't follow their footprints, is reinvented by renowned author Julia Alvarez. Although the ciguapas fear humans, Guapa, a bold and brave ciguapa, can't help but be curious--especially about a boy she sees on the nights when she goes on the land to hunt for food. When she gets too close to his family and is discovered, she learns that some humans are kind. Even though she escapes unharmed and promises never to get too close to a human again, Guapa still sneaks over to the boy's house some evenings, where she finds a warm pastelito in the pocket of his jacket on the clothesline.