Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes/Los perros magicos de los volcanos [Paperback]

Manlio Argueta (Author), Elly Simmons (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

A contemporary folktale about magical dogs that live on the volcanoes of El Salvador and protect the people from many dangers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- For generations, the cadejos , wolflike, magical animals, have cared for the people who live at the foot of the volcanoes. But then the landowner decides to do away with them in the hopes of making the campesinos harder working, and he sends soldiers made out of lead to kill them. In desperation the cadejos call upon their great-great grandparents, the volcanoes, who defeat the soldiers, and, by extension, the landowner. In this engagingly told dual-language story from El Salvador, the original Spanish text is much smoother and more dynamic than is the English translation, which misses some of the humor and clever turns of speech that grace Arguenta's narrative form. However, the translation is able and reads aloud well enough to hold the attention of young listeners. Simmons's illustrations are in keeping with the folkloric tone. Large, bright, and primitive-looking, they have some of the mass and volume of Orozco's work. Paired with Jane Anne Volkmer's Song of the Chirimia (Carolrhoda, 1990), this opens listeners to the folklore of Central America in an attractively illustrated, accessible form. --Ann Welton, University Child Development School, Seattle
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Children's Book Press (June 3, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892391294
• ISBN-13: 978-0892391295
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #410,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Central & South America

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delight!, May 11, 2006

By 

V. O'Farrell "Ginnie" (El Salvador) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes/Los perros magicos de los volcanos (Paperback)

i'm currently living in El Salvador and found this book online when looking for traditional Salvadorean legends on which to base a drama production. I was delighted by the story, which is accessibly presented in both English and Spanish, and which features enchanting details to make adults smile as they read to their children. The beautiful illustrations add to the enjoyment of this story - I intend to buy a copy to send to my 2 year old godson in England - he will adore it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, bilingual book, August 28, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Los Perros Magicos de Los Volcanes / Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes (Hardcover)

This is an excellent story, well told with colorful illustrations. It opens children's eyes to compassion, offering a story of hope and reconciliation. Excellent for children and for adults, too - it went over well in a class in Hispanic culture at Wofford College.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not JUST a children's book, August 17, 2007

By 

NCTejana (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Los Perros Magicos de Los Volcanes / Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes (Hardcover)

This book, while serving as an excellent and colorful children's fairy tale, also has some layers that are invisible to the untrained eye, but satisfying for the person with a little knowledge of modern Salvadoran history. Although the concept of the cadejo goes back a long way in Central American culture, Argueta has hidden a subtle commentary on the political history of El Salvador inside this fun-loving tale. It's no coincidence, for instance, that the number 14 occurs in the description of the landowners who send the lead soldiers to teach a lesson to those workers who have the nerve to think they should get to rest once in a while, or eat; look up the reference "fourteen families" (catorce familias in Spanish) to make the allusion emerge clearly within this charming tale.

Don't get me wrong -- if you want your child simply to read this story as a fairy tale, that will be possible, even easy to accomplish. The story stands on its own two (four?) feet without any need to introduce the allegorical aspects. All the same, there's a good reason this story was excerpted for an intermediate college Spanish textbook ... there's a lot more going on here than meets the eye.