Borreguita and the Coyote (Reading Rainbow Books) [Paperback]

Verna Aardema (Author), Petra Mathers (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Reading Rainbow Books

What's a little lamb to do about a fierce coyote that wants to eat her? Why, trick him, of course...and and trick him again...and trick him one more time! Here's a lively retelling of a Mexican folk tale by master story teller Verna Aardema, illustrated in bold, winning colors by Petra Mathers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This trickster tale pits a gullible coyote against a deceptively cute lamb. "Mathers... injects [the] fluid, humorous text with her own deliciously skewed point of view," said PW. Ages 4-8.
- fluid, humorous text with her own deliciously skewed point of view," said PW. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

K--Grade 3-- Borreguita, which means simply "little lamb," lives at the foot of a mountain. When her owner takes Borreguita out to eat in a field of lush, red clover, she is approached by a coyote who has lunch in mind. How this crafty lamb fools the coyote forms the base of this stylish retelling of a tale from Ayutla, Mexico. Aardema's language is simple and direct, allowing readers or listeners to be in on what Boreguita is up to long before the coyote catches on. Mathers's watercolors are the perfect complement, bright in pallete and granting expressiveness to both the coyote and his nemesis. Certain of her illustrations are reminiscent of Rousseau in the use of light and primitive forms, but Mathers always retains a light touch. Large enough in format to share at storytimes, this is a perfect introduction to Mexican folklore, and a great alternative to that other renowned coyote baiter, Beep Beep the Roadrunner.
- Ann Welton, Thomas Academy, Kent, WA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dragonfly Books (January 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679889361
• ISBN-13: 978-0679889366
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have !!!, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Borreguita and the Coyote (Reading Rainbow Books) (Paperback)

This is a great book! A liitle wooly and cunning lamb outwits a coyote - over and over and over. It's easy enough for children to understand and sophisticated enough for an adult to read over and over and over and just one more time mom, please. The illstrations will make you laugh out loud.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to Read!, July 18, 2000

By 

Carolyn McFarland - See all my reviews

This review is from: Borreguita and the Coyote (Reading Rainbow Books) (Paperback)

What fun I had reading this book out loud to my daycare kids and watching them giggle and howl each time the borreguita tricked the coyote.

This book is a classic to read aloud and share with all kids.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Borreguita and the Coyote, April 6, 2005

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Borreguita and the Coyote (Reading Rainbow Books) (Paperback)

I so wanted my children to like this book. The artwork is attractive and I like to expose them to literature from other cultures, but they just did not take to it.

Although the story is fresh and has its amusing side, my son would just wonder away and no one (either the 3 y.o. nor the 5 y.o.) asked for it to be read again, even after multiple readings. (I don't assume that they will take to a book the first time.) Further, my daughter, who is the sensitive sort, was bothered by the fact that the coyote wanted to eat poor little borreguita.

We love "Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain" by Verna Aardema but that book has more of a rhythmic cadence that this book lacks and perhaps that is why it was not a hit in my house.

That said, you can see from the other reviews that other children loved it. And it is not that this is not a good book, but if your children are like mine you just might want to try it out at the library first.