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Scott,

(This probably falls under multiple categories, but...)  I would love to see cultural items incorportated into the stories/ book.  But I think it needs to be more than just someone eating lunch in Mexico City or taking a siesta.  I'm thinking maybe there are several references throughout the chapter (for example: siestas, banks closing mid-day, kids having to go back to school in the afternoon, the importance of almuerzo, etc.) and then there is an entire reading in Spanish about the cultural theme of daily routine or whatever you'd like to name that.  Maybe you read that before the chapter so students can make more of a connection to the setting of the stories.  (I don't know how Michael Miller did his German books, but my understanding is that they weave cultural items throughout the book.) 

I guess another idea is to have an "extra" chapter in the teachers' book with cultural information, activity suggestions, etc. that correlate to different topics.  That way the teacher could choose which topics to cover when, but I think personally I would like it interwoven into each chapter best. 

I have heard that pictures sell books, and I'd say that's probably true in terms of "selling" it to students.  I don't know that I care one way or another personally except that if they can add cultural authenticity, then I see that as more valuable than a story strip that is cartoon like.  The story stips are fine, but if it is with every single story and those are the only pictures, I think the kids start to feel like they are doing the same thing all the time.  I know that tons of actual (color?) photographs can cause the book to be more expensive though, so...  just food for thought.

Susan