Gauchada [Hardcover]

C. Drew Lamm (Author), Fabin Negrin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The gauchada offered in this story is a necklace—a token made by a gaucho’s own hand and given with love. First it is given to a grandmother, who cherishes it until she feels moved to give an unexpected gift to someone else. In this way, the necklace passes from hand to hand—from heart to heart. It travels farther than the gaucho who made it will ever roam. But each time the necklace is given, his story is told and his message is understood: Love is meant to be given.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lamm (The Prog Frince: A Mixed-Up Tale) opens this lyrical, somewhat sentimental story with a note explaining the title: in Argentina, to make a gauchada means "to do something kind, something with love, without expecting anything in return." Sitting in a field amidst cows, a gaucho carves a piece of bone into a crescent-shaped moon, which he then frames with silver and makes into a necklace. Next, the ideas grow a bit abstract and the narrative becomes labyrinthine: "Perhaps after the rains have again greened the pampas, perhaps after the cows stampede through the quebradas, perhaps after he has danced a thousand zambas, sometime after that the gaucho who chose the bone and smoothed the silver and placed the stone will know." What he will know is "where the necklace will go." After the cowboy places the pendant around the neck of his grandmother, the necklace "lives a thousand lives," as it is passed from one individual to another. After the heirloom "crosses the ocean" on a liner, worn by a woman writer, the narrative swerves from its melancholy, introspective tone to address readers directly (the woman writer will give the gift of the necklace "perhaps to you"). If the prose is cryptic, the artwork smoothly blends folkloric elements with sweeping landscapes. Infused with light often that of the moon itself Negrin's (The Secret Footprints) stylized, ethereal paintings effectively tweak traditional perspective and proportion. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Lamm's gentle story follows the path of a gauchada, or selfless gift-in this case, a handmade necklace in the shape of a moon. A gaucho, or Argentine cowboy, carves it from a piece of bone and hangs it from a silver chain. He gives it to an old woman, who gives it to a younger woman, who gives it to a little girl, and so on. The gauchada makes its way around the world, and finally the story ends when its most recent recipient recalls the cowboy back in Argentina who carved it. Negrin skillfully manipulates proportion and scale to good effect; his animals and people are all endowed with abundant limbs and torsos offset by delicate facial features. Text and illustrations work together nicely in this quiet story about sharing special presents. However, it's all a bit arcane, and it's unlikely that most children will grasp the difference between a selfless gift and any gift. A special book without much child appeal.
Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375812679
• ISBN-13: 978-0375812675
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,575,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gift of Giving, February 15, 2002

By 

Evan J. Parker III (Washington, DC area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gauchada (Hardcover)

It's unusual for books like "Gauchada" to see the light if day, & the fact that [other companies], in their pursuit of the mediocre, have chosen not to carry this title, is proof that beauty of spirit is difficult to find in the world these days. This is what "Gauchada" is about; it's about beauty of spirit, it's about the unselfish act of giving a gift out of love & seeking nothing in return. The prose is rich, poetic & we follow the gift as it is given & passed on til we return to where the story begins, on the grasslands of Argentina. Ms. Lamm's poetry & intricacy of language is beautifully complimented by the stylized art of Mr. Negrin. This is not an "easy" book, it isn't "see spot run", the language is dense & there is an air of mystery & magic in the act of creating the gauchada, & the journey the gift takes. The book is something to sit with & savour, & like anything you treasure, it is something to return to again & again.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book about the joy of giving!, February 12, 2002

By 

Kristan I Williams (Spring, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gauchada (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book set in Argentina about the endless joys of giving. The book is set around a gift of love given in the form of a homemade necklace by a gaucho, or cowboy. You will learn lots of new Argentine words which are explained in the preface of the book by the author. TeacherFeatures.com is going to be writing a lesson plan for this book. The class will create something special from them that they can give to someone they love with instructions for the gift to be passed on and on. What an important lesson for todays youngsters to learn that giving doesn't always have to mean getting something physical in return.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Book!, April 14, 2003

By 

sydney miller (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gauchada (Library Binding)

This book is a gem! A treasure! I've given away countless copies mostly to women - my mother, sisters, daughters and some very close friends. I've given it as wedding presents, engagement presents and as a token of love. IT is very special - a grassroots kind of find. The writing is poetic and evocative. The story simple and alluring. It reads like music. I've just started making necklaces to pass along with this book, my own gauchadas. Thank you Drew Lamm for writing this stunning book.