Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y La Planta de Chile Gigante [Hardcover]

Keith Polette (Author), Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The desert Southwest is the unlikely setting for this humorous variation on the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. This bilingual book is presented as embedded text with the story told mostly in English and a sprinkling of Spanish throughout. The book ends with keyword vocabulary page to jumpstart language learning. Dusty desert feel is captured in deep pastel colored illustrations. English only and Spanish only versions coming Fall 2008.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Raven Tree Press C/O Delta; Bilingual edition (February 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977090620
• ISBN-13: 978-0977090624
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award winning author/illustrator, Elizabeth O. Dulemba, was beamed to this planet with a pencil in her hand. Once she stopped chewing on it, she began to draw and write. Her most recent book is THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN GEORGIA. Visit www.dulemba.com to learn more and download a new free coloring page every week (over 200 images available)!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack and the Giant Beanstalk with a distinctly Spanish-American Southwest twist!, June 15, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y La Planta de Chile Gigante (Hardcover)

Award-winning author Keith Polette presents Paco and the Giant Chile Plant, a children's picturebook of the traditional "Jack and the Giant Beanstalk" fairy tale, with a distinctly Spanish-American Southwest twist! Told in English with embedded Spanish words (which are written in red instead of black), and enhanced with a Spanish-English vocabulary page, Paco and the Giant Chile Plant is excellent for introducing young people to the fun of learning a new language. The exuberant color artwork by award-winning illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba adds the perfect touch to this lively adventure, which has a heartwarming, positive twist on the ending of the original fairy tale.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, September 1, 2008

By 

A. Pohren (IA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y La Planta de Chile Gigante (Hardcover)

What a delightful and charming book. Paco and the Giant Chile Plant bases itself on the children's classic Jack and the Beanstalk, but with a wonderful twist that makes it all it's own. Paco trades the family cow for a bag of Chile seeds. Once he plants them, he waits and waits until finally the ground begins to shake and tremble, a giant chile plant shoots itself into the sky and a curious Paco quickly makes his way to the top. Once he reaches the top, he encounters a terrible Giant - this is where the delightful twist takes place, which is sure to enchant readers of all ages.

Within Paco and the Giant Chile Plant, the bilingual version, Spanish words are embedded throughout the story. Their definitions made clear within the text and a list of the words and their meanings are also included on the final page of the story. I found this to be a wonderful story and the illustrations are beautiful and extremely eye catching. Both my 2 year old and 6 year old enjoyed this story repeatedly.

I wanted to include an excerpt, which I found to be particular catchy: El gigante's teeth were as jagged and gnarled as trees twisted by a terrible tornado. I loved the language usage and the flow of writing. Wonderful and fun story with a lesson at the end that as long as you have a wonderful family, a roof over your head and work to be done, that is all that is important.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great retelling with a surprising twist, February 16, 2009

By 

The Well-Read Child "http://wellreadchild.blo... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y La Planta de Chile Gigante (Paperback)

Set in the American Southwest, Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante is an adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk. Told in English with Spanish embedded in red throughout, Paco sells his family's vaca (cow), their only source of income, for a handful of semillas de chile (chili seeds). When he plants the seeds, a giant chile plant grows way up into the sky. Of course, a curious Paco must climb up the plant, and when he does, he meets the terrible giant we expect him to meet. However, the surprise ending of the story is anything but expected and provides an interesting twist.

Elizabeth O. Dulemba's rich gold-toned illustrations reflect the colors of the desert and give us a glimpse of the clothing, dwellings, and culture of the American southwest.

This is an ideal book for bilingual children or English and Spanish learners. A glossary in the back of the book offers definitions of all of the Spanish words in rojo. It would also make a great read aloud, especially for children who like a little action and suspense in their stories.