Juan and the Jackalope: A Children's Book in Verse [Hardcover]

Rudolfo Anaya (Author), Amy Córdova (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2009 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

When Rosita, the loveliest gal in the Pecos River Valley, offers her delicious rhubarb pie as first prize for the Great Grasshopper Race, a thousand love-struck vaqueros line up for the competition. Of course everyone believes that the legendary cowboy Pecos Bill, riding his giant grasshopper, Hoppy, is a shoo-in for the grand prize. Sure enough, Bill and Hoppy give an impressive performance, crisscrossing the Southwest in a raucous ride. But young Juan, who is hopelessly in love with Rosita, astonishes them all when he and Jack the Jackalope take a miraculous ride around the world and across the Milky Way. The daring pair return, covered in stardust, to claim the beautiful Rosita and her delicious pie.

Set in New Mexico, Anaya's fanciful story, coupled with Amy Córdova's vivid illustrations, brings the tradition of Southwestern tall tales to a new generation of young readers.

Ages 6 and up

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The master of Chicano fiction brings the tradition of Southwestern tall tales to a new generation of young readers.

About the Author

Rudolfo Anaya, widely acclaimed as one of the founders of modern Chicano literature, is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. Anaya was presented with the National Medal of Arts for literature in 2001 and his novel Alburquerque (the city's original Spanish spelling) won the PEN Center West Award for Fiction. He has also received the Premio Quinto Sol, the national Chicano literary award, the American Book Award from The Before Columbus Foundation, the Mexican Medal of Friendship from the Mexican Consulate, and the Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement Award. He is best known for the classic Bless Me Ultima.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press (November 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826345212
• ISBN-13: 978-0826345219
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,718,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rudolfo Anaya is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. He was one of the first winners of the Premio Quinto Sol National Chicano literary award. Winner of the PEN Center USA West Award for Fiction for his novel Alburquerque, he is best-loved for his classic bestseller Bless Me, Ultima. His other works include Zia Summer, Rio Grande Fall, Jalamanta, Tortuga, Heart of Aztlan , and The Anaya Reader. He has also written numerous short stories, essays, and children's books, including The Farolitos of Christmas and Maya's Children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Will appeal to children age 6 and up, December 24, 2009

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

This review is from: Juan and the Jackalope: A Children's Book in Verse (Hardcover)

"Juan and the Jackalope: A Children's Book in Verse" is a SouthWestern take on a tall tale in which the hero, Juan, on the super extraordinary Jackalope, actually takes on the legendary Pecos Bill in the Great Grasshopper Race. Juan desperately wants to win because the prize is beautiful Rosita and her rhubarb pie, and of course he is in love with her (and her pie and beans). "Juan and the Jackalope" poses a set of amazing circumstances in verse to tell a very tall tale, using wonderful mythical characters from Southwestern tradition such as La Llorona, the Crying Woman, and Kookooee, a sort of troll-skeleton ghost figure among others. Colorfully captioned with imaginative illustrations by Amy Cordova, "Juan and the Jackalope" is Rudolfo Anaya's latest bicultural effort to share his rich heritage and memories with a new generation of children. Most likely it will continue in the award-winning tradition of his earlier efforts such as "Bless Me, Ultima" and "The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story." "Juan and the Jackalope" will appeal to children age 6 and up.