Bijirita (1985-1990)
On the cover of Bijirita's first issue, two young Cubans read the magazine, with a Bijirita, or warbler, right at the center of the image. The text at the bottom announces the magazine's arrival, imploring children to pass the issue around to read and play with.
This second page of the magazine has a comic strip depicting a group of animals excited about the arrival of the new magazine. A beret-wearing bird tells Titina the frog about the magazine's arrival, and they go on a journey collecting their friends (duck, cricket, rabbit, snail) to see the bijirita (warbler) arrive with the magazine. At the bottom of the page are two vocabulary words (dove and carpenter) written in sentence case, all-capital, and cursive, to help the young readers learn new words.
This page explains the magazine's purpose. It celebrates the dual publication of Zunzún and Bijirita, both published by the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas in La Habana, Cuba in 1985. The cricket explains how this magazine is meant for first and second graders, explaining that the title comes from the fact the bijiritas (warblers) are rebellious and full of life, just like the young Cuban readers of the magazine. It also explains how the "enemies of Cuba" used to call freedom-desiring Cubans "bijiritas," and that this magazine takes the name back.
At the bottom of the right page, it explains how José Martí, Cuba's national hero, also published a children's magazine, entitled "The Golden Age," positioning this magazine as part of a larger socialist tradition, as enshrined by Martí.
This page of the magazine offers a biography of Cuba's national hero, José Martí, naming his parents and his favorite teacher and drawing attention to the medal he's wearing on his lapel. It also details his physical features, like his lips and eyes, ending with a exclamation about the desire to be Martí's friend. The biography is written in simple sentences, understandable for first and second graders, and there are simple recall questions on the side about him.
On the first issue's final page, the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas writes directly to the parents. Pleading for their readers, the page implores parents, grandparents, teachers, and aunts and uncles to help their children understand the magazine.
The Unión advises reading aloud to children who cannot read yet, have them take note of the different forms of writing depicted at the bottom of every page, ask them comprehension questions about what they read, and letting them color in the magazine's coloring pages without choosing the colors for them.
The last paragragh reads: "In this way, among all of us, we are going to contribute to the intellectual and manual development of the little ones of the house, and above all, to train them in the habit of reading, which they will need so much in the future."
The first page of Bijirita's second issue again depicts a child and warbler, but includes a preview of what lies within:
"A valiant family,
the iguana that goes to the sea,
and at the end of BIJIRITA,
the mockingbird will sing."
On this page from Bijirita's second issue, a comic strip depicts the ideal young Cuban boy. Entitled "Oye, Mamá," the strip includes panels of a boy telling his mother all the good things he did that year. He did not lie and was obedient, happy, and smiling. He did not say mean words, had many friends, and "enjoys helping people, and defending Cuba valiantly." He studies to pass his classes, takes care of his uniform, reads, plays sports and games, loves seeing his mother happy, and in the end, gifts his mom a flower.
Interestingly, amongst common values to instill in children like kindness, activeness, love, and respect, there are inserted references to nationalism and a love Cuban children should have for their country and its defense.
On the second issue's back cover, as promised on the front cover, the mockingbird appears. As part of a series of Cuban birds, the page includes an illustration and description of the bird:
"It lives in the savannahs and bushes. We also see it in the cities, mounted on wires, on television antennas. It almost always flies alone. Sometimes it runs for a while on the ground. It eats insects and fruits. It makes its nest with herbs and dry sticks. The female lays, between May and June, four to six bluish-green eggs with speckles. Mama mockingbird and daddy mockingbird defend their young very bravely if someone wants to disturb them. The mockingbird is one of the birds with the most beautiful song. It could imitate the song of others. It is capable of repeating with its trills, the music that is taught to it. Although it is caged, it does not stop singing to cheer us up."