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Summary
Summary
In this allegorical picture book, a young rabbit named Pancho eagerly awaits his papa's return. Papa Rabbit traveled north two years ago to find work in the great carrot and lettuce fields to earn money for his family. When Papa does not return, Pancho sets out to find him. He packs Papa's favorite meal - mole, rice and beans, a heap of warm tortillas, and a jug of aguamiel - and heads north. He meets a coyote, who offers to help Pancho in exchange for some of Papa's food. They travel together until the food is gone and the coyote decides he is still hungry . . . for Pancho!
Duncan Tonatiuh brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families who seek to make better lives for themselves and their children by illegally crossing the border.
Praise for Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote
STARRED REVIEWS
"Tonatiuh's great strength is in the text. No word is wasted, as each emotion is clearly and poignantly expressed. The rabbits' future is unknown, but their love and faith in each other sustains them through it all. Accessible for young readers, who may be drawn to it as they would a classic fable; perfect for mature readers and the classroom, where its layers of truth and meaning can be peeled back to be examined and discussed. An incandescent, humane and terribly necessary addition to the immigrant-story shelf."
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"In both prose and art, Tonatiuh expertly balances folkloric elements with stark, modern realities; Pancho Rabbit's trip has the feel of a classic fable or fairy tale, with the untrustworthy coyote demanding more and more of him."
- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The book shows the fragility of making a living, the desperation that many migrants experience, and the deep family ties that bind the characters. Classrooms studying the migrant experience will find plenty to discuss here."
- School Library Journal
"This will spark strong responses and needed discussion."
- Booklist
"Tonatiuh is so careful in weaving his allegory that his empathetic contemporary tale feels like age-old folklore, with simple but compelling text and a step-by-step escalation of the story through gripping, kid-understandable challenges."
- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Awards
Pura Belpr\u00e9 Author and Illustrator Honor book 2014
New York Public Library's annual Children's Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013
Kirkus Best Books of 2013
Best Multicultural Children's Books 2013 (Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature)
Notable Children's Books from ALSC 2014
Notable Books for a Global Society Book Award 2014
Author Notes
Duncan Tonatiuh is the winner of the prestigious Pura Belpré Award. Born and raised in Mexico, he attended school in the United States. His books include A Land of Books , Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns, and The Princess and the Warrior . He divides his time between San Miguel Allende, Mexico, and New York City.
Reviews (6)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Tonatiuh (Diego Rivera: His World and Ours) uses an animal cast to create a valuable portrait of the often-perilous journeys of migrant Mexicans who seek work in the U.S. to support their families. It is time for Papa Rabbit to return home from working in "El Norte," and his family prepares a celebratory fiesta, but he fails to arrive. When Pancho goes in search of his father, he meets a coyote who agrees to guide him north. In both prose and art, Tonatiuh expertly balances folkloric elements with stark, modern realities; Pancho Rabbit's trip has the feel of a classic fable or fairy tale, with the untrustworthy coyote demanding more and more of him. As in Tonatiuh's previous books, his illustrations draw from ancient Mexican art, but he also incorporates photographic textures, from denim jeans to the zipper on Pancho's mochila (backpack), emphasizing the connection between past and present. An extensive author's note offers a useful springboard for adult-child discussion as Tonatiuh delineates the dangers undocumented immigrants face. The story's bittersweet, even ominous, ending reminds readers that there are no easy solutions. Ages 6-9. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Because of a drought, Pancho Rabbit's father heads north for work. When he doesn't return, Pancho goes looking for him, guided by Senor Coyote. What begins as a light allegory becomes a darker tale. Tonatiuh effortlessly employs Spanish words, and folk art-like illustrations complement the story's origin. The author's note on immigration is geared to an older audience. Reading list, websites. Glos. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In this pointed allegory, Pancho, a young rabbit, sets out for El Norte to find his father, who is late returning from the great carrot and lettuce fields. He falls in with a ravenous coyote who offers to guide him over the border (for a price), but when the food runs out, so does Pancho's luck. In a rather large coincidence, he's rescued from death by his Papa. Along the way, Pancho crosses a river, climbs a fence, and passes through a tunnel guarded by uniformed, bribe-taking snakes. Tonatiuh shapes his story along strong folkloric patterns, and he adds atmosphere aplenty in arresting, flat folk art with cultural references (coyote is the term for someone who smuggles people across the border). He closes with a critical, research-based author's note about who illegal immigrants are and the dangers they face, capped by a list of web reports and resources. The depiction of the border's barriers and those who patrol them may be discomfiting for some, but with so little on the topic available for younger readers, it's good to have a book that can be read at several levels. This will spark strong responses and needed discussion.--Peters, John Copyright 2010 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
In a little anywhere town, a small boy in a big hat with "SHERIFF" taped to the front goes to the bakery with his deputy dog. "Their mission? To bring a dozen donuts safely home." The real threat to the doughnuts is the sheriff himself, who can't resist peeking in the box. Soon there's one doughnut missing and a trail of evidence as obvious as the sheriff's guilty conscience. With McGhee's light humor and Roxas' appealing and gentlyhued illustrations, this tale of doughnut perfidy takes the cake. COWBOY BOYD AND MIGHTY CALLIOPE By Lisa Moser. Illustrated by Sebastiaan Van Doninck. 40 pp. Random House. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) "No doubt about it, folks knew Boyd and Calliope were different the moment they rode onto the Double R Ranch." There's something about Calliope that's more rhino than rodeo, and Boyd, a sweet-faced cowpoke, has to talk Rancher Rose into giving them work. "You won't regret it," he says. "I got a real strong belief in Calliope." Moser's use of cowboy cadence punctuated by noises like "Ker-thud!" and "Blam!" will have readers raising a ruckus loud enough to keep the coyotes at bay. STANDING IN FOR LINCOLN GREEN Written and illustrated by David Mackintosh. 32 pp. Abrams. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) If Mackintosh hasn't already won you over with "Marshall Armstrong Is New to Our School" and "The Frank Show," this new story, about a boy who'd rather play than do his chores, is sure to. Mackintosh's voice is engaging, but it's the look of his pages that will have readers - and lap listeners - marveling at the variety of perspective, color and composition that make "Standing In for Lincoln Green" such a standout. COWPOKE CLYDE AND DIRTY DAWG By Lori Mortensen. Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin. 32 pp. Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) No so fast, pardner! Turns out Cowpoke Clyde is better at lassoing cattle than wrangling his flea-ridden friend Dawg into the tub. At last, Clyde decides to wash himself instead. "He cleared the mess and grabbed some grub,/heated water, filled the tub./Then, soakin' sweet beneath the moon,/he warbled out a cowpoke tune." He's not alone for long. Austin's exaggeratedly slim Clyde and highly animated animals should round up even reluctant readers. PANCHO RABBIT AND THE COYOTE A Migrant's Tale Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. 2 pp. Abrams. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 6 to 9) A drought forces Papá Rabbit to leave the rancho to look for work, and when he fails to return, his son Pancho sets off to find him. The happy ending doesn't quite reassure: Pancho's adventure is a scary one, leaving him at the mercy of a predatory coyote, without food and drink, and his rescue does not solve the problem of sustenance. Sadly, Tonatiuh's picture-book format is probably pitched too young for children ready to read about these very real dangers. WHAT IF YOU MET A COWBOY? Written and illustrated by Jan Adkins. 48 pp. Roaring Brook Press. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 6 to 9) "Much of what we think of as the Wild West was simply made up," Adkins writes, setting straight the legends popularized by William Frederick Cody (aka Buffalo Bill) : "The myth was ballyhoo, but the man behind it was absolutely genuine." Adkins, who illustrates his book with handsome sepia-based pen-and-ink sketches, can really turn a phrase, and his detailed histories of cattle in the United States and the varieties and uses of barbed wire are pithy as well as fascinating. ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-This allegorical tale describes the many struggles immigrants face as they attempt to cross the border between the United States and Mexico. Pancho Rabbit's Papa has left home to find work in the Northern fields. But when Papa does not return as expected, Pancho sets out to find him. He packs a backpack full of Papa's favorite foods and heads out into the night. It isn't long before he meets Coyote, who offers to show Pancho the quickest route to his father in exchange for some food from the backpack. Together, Pancho and Coyote navigate a moving train, a rushing river, a high fence, and a hot desert. But, when Pancho runs out of food, Coyote turns on him and threatens to eat him. Narrator Luis Moreno's steady pacing helps move the story along, and his emphasis of certain Spanish words gives readers a better understanding of the vocabulary. His voice changes throughout to reflect the anxiety and determination Pancho experiences while on his quest. The book's (Abrams, 2013) flat drawings are reminiscent of ancient Mexican artwork, but the computer-created collages add a modern twist and vibrant colors to the illustrations. This will tie in well with units on immigration and discussions about migrant laborers.-Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A brilliant modern fableeloquent, hopeful and heart-rendingabout a rabbit family whose members cross the border in search of a better life, and each other. Drought forces Pap Rabbit to leave for the great carrot and lettuce fields of the north, hoping to make money for his family. Years pass, but when he doesn't arrive home on the appointed day, his eldest son, Pancho Rabbit, sets out to find him. Heading north, he meets a coyote who promises a shortcut in return for food. At each step of their treacherous journey, the coyote demands more food in exchange for Pancho's safe passage. The food finally all gone, Pancho is about to be consumed when Pap Rabbit rescues him. Reunited, Pancho learns all the money Pap saved for the family was stolen by a crow gang. Pancho guides them home, but happiness is short-lived, as the family must decide who willand how toreturn north if the rains still refuse to come. Textured earth tones are digitally collaged to create Pancho's world, where the river's darkness and desert's sweltering heat are inescapable. Geometric shapes define the characters' faces, making them reminiscent of Aztec stone carvings. But Tonatiuh's great strength is in the text. No word is wasted, as each emotion is clearly and poignantly expressed. The rabbits' future is unknown, but their love and faith in each other sustains them through it all. Accessible for young readers, who may be drawn to it as they would a classic fable; perfect for mature readers and the classroom, where its layers of truth and meaning can be peeled back to be examined and discussed. An incandescent, humane and terribly necessary addition to the immigrant-story shelf. (Picture book. 5-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
