Copyright Date:
2008
Edition Date:
2008
Release Date:
03/01/11
Illustrator:
Carling, Amelia Lau,
Pages:
1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN:
Publisher: 1-554-98102-6 Perma-Bound: 0-605-22802-7
ISBN 13:
Publisher: 978-1-554-98102-1 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-22802-3
Dewey:
E
Dimensions:
28 cm.
Language:
Spanish
Reviews:
Publishers Weekly
(Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
PreSchool-Grade 2-After her family moves to the mountains of New Mexico and Amelia learns about the local legend of """"Los abuelos,"""" her brother succeeds in using it to frighten her. The legend-which bears some similarities to that of the well-known """"Cucuy""""-says that each year, soot-covered old men come down from the mountains to see if the village children have behaved. Following her brother's taunting, Amelia hides under her covers and fears that los abuelos will come for her. Once the old men arrive however, a wonderful display of courage leads Amelia to discover the gentle truth behind the scary masks, and allows her to begin to enjoy what turns out to be a fun, traditional celebration, as much as everyone else. The end of the story displays Amelia's entire village enjoying the yearly party following the descent of the masked men. Vibrant illustrations celebrate the traditional elements of the story and depict the abuelos' ghostlike facemasks in a manner that should not frighten children. A perfect Halloween tale, despite the fact that it takes place in winter. Recommended for all Spanish-language collections. Reviewed by Roxanne Landin, Fremont Area District Lib., Fremont, MI
Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Publishers Weekly
(Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
This edition is in Spanish. In this delightful story two young children, Ray and Amelia, discover the old New Mexican tradition of "los abuelos" for the first time. Long ago, in the cold midwinter of northern New Mexico, village men would go up into the mountains, disguise themselves as scary old men and then go down to the village to see who had been good and who had been bad. The abuelos -- wearing masks and covered with soot -- would tease the children and then have them sing or dance around the fire. This midwinter masquerade, which contains elements of Spanish and indigenous Pueblo culture, as well as sharing features common to solstice celebrations in other parts of the world, died out in New Mexico for a time, but has been occasionally revived in recent years.