Los Veinticinco Gatos Mixtecos = The Twenty-Five Mixtec Cats (Spanish Edition) [Paperback]

Matthew W. Gollub (Author), Leovigildo Martinez (Illustrator), Martin Luis Guzman (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997

Ages 5-10. Full color illustrations. Spanish HC. (English title: The Twenty-five Mixtec Cats.) Set in an indigenous Mixtec village in the artist's own Oaxaca, Mexico, the story involves a good healer, an evil healer and some extraordinary feline pets. Though some fear the cats will eat everything in sight--and maybe even set fire to fields--the cats soon win their way into the villagers' hearts. A dazzling first collaboration by the American author and Mexican illustrator!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4?A medicine man (un curandero) lives in a mountain pueblo and cares for the sick in exchange for whatever the townspeople can afford to give. One day, he receives 25 Mixtec kittens. The townspeople become suspicious of the cats and ask an evil healer to get rid of them. When she fails, she is accused of being a fake?an accusation that prompts her to cast a spell on the sharp-tongued butcher. The woman falls ill, and it is only the gentle curandero and his companions who can save her. When the man becomes ill, it is the quick-thinking of his feline friends that saves the day and secures their place in the hearts of the community. This story reads well, whether alone or to a group. The narrative flows smoothly and contains many of the elements children love: a hero (and heroes), a villain, suspense, a rescue, and?naturally?a happy ending. Detailed cultural representation is evident in the artist's renderings of town life and dress. Martinez combines solid colors with lively line patterns that seem to set the villagers in motion. The sun-drenched colors effectively convey the feeling of a dry and dusty climate. A prime example of fine picture-book storytelling.?Donna J. Murray, Queens Borough Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

(School Library Journal) Grade 4-6: A medicine man (un curandero) lives in a mountain pueblo and cares for the sick in exchange for whatever the townspeople can afford to give. One day, he receives 25 Mixtec kittens. The townspeople become suspicious of the cats and ask an evil healer to get rid of them. When she fails, she is accused of being a fake--an accusation that prompts her to cast a spell on the sharp-tongued butcher. The woman falls ill, and it is only the gentle curandero and his companions who can save her. When the man becomes ill, it is the quick thinking of his feline friends that saves the day and secures their place in the hearts of the community. This story reads well, whether alone or to a group. The narrative flows smoothly and contains many of the elements children love: a hero (and heroes), a villain, suspense, a rescue, and--naturally--a happy ending. Detailed cultural representation is evident in the artist's renderings of town life and dress. ! Martnez combines solid colors with lively line patterns that seem to set the villagers in motion. The sun-drenched colors effectively convey the feeling of a dry and dusty climate. A prime example of fine picture-book storytelling. --Donna J. Murray, Queens Borough Public Library, NY -- Publisher Comments --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tortuga Press (May 1997)
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN-10: 1889910015
• ISBN-13: 978-1889910017
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,523,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)