Juan Bobo
| Juan Bobo | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher |
Harper Collins, Dutton Children's Books, Scholastic Books, Reviewed by: Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist |
| First appearance |
56 Picaresque Tales (in the U.S., 1921) Juan Bobo Heats up his Grandmother, Juan Bobo Delivers a Letter to the Devil, Juan Bobo Throws his Brother Down a Well, Juan Bobo Refuses to Marry the Princess. |
| Created by | School children of Puerto Rico |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Picaresque |
| Place of origin | Puerto Rico |
| Abilities |
Avatar of indigenous morality Repository of cultural information Resistance to colonial oppression Syncretic of Santería and Capoeira |
Juan Bobo is a folkloric character on the island of Puerto Rico. For nearly two centuries a collection of books, songs, riddles and folktales have developed around him. Hundreds of children's books have been written about Juan Bobo in English and Spanish. Juan Bobo stories are used as instructional models in public school districts and libraries throughout the United States and on PBS Television.
The Juan Bobo folktales are a cultural time capsule, a vehicle for historical preservation. Each story illustrates a key aspect of Puerto Rican life and traditions – as Juan goes to church, to work, the store, the town market, and deals with characters and events that typify the Puerto Rican spirit. For this reason, the Juan Bobo stories have been viewed as a “folkloric information system.”
Often a trickster, sometimes a fool, Juan Bobo is the Puerto Rican amalgam of "Foolish John" who cannot get anything right, and Amelia Bedelia who follows instructions to a fault. Sent off by his mother to find work, Juan Bobo causes one disaster after another and always manages to lose his payment. In a typical Juan Bobo story his mother asks him to clean up a pig so she'll fetch a higher price in the town market. Instead, Juan Bobo dresses her for church in his mother's best Sunday clothes, complete with lipstick and high heels.
Although the name "Bobo" implies stupidity or oaf-like behavior, the ostensible naiveté of Juan Bobo points to a hidden virtue or helpful way to approach life. As in Aesop's Fables, the stories often have obvious morals that suggest how people should live and how cultures should interact.
As the trickster character in Puerto Rican folklore and oral tradition, Juan Bobo is part of a larger tradition that spans several world cultures. Many of the tales have nearly identical plot points in stories from India, China, Turkey, and traditions in Africa and North America.
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Wikipedia