Tío Culebra

by Matthew Gollub, Leovigildo Martinez (Illustrator), Martín Luis Guzmán Ferrer (Translator)

Overview

In this mysterious tale set in ancient Mexico, something unearthly happens when a boy enters a forbidden cave. No curandero can change him back. Only the nahual, a shape-changing magic worker, can see beyond the horizon: “You are destined,” he tells the boy, “to show the world something new.” Twenty years later, the boy is a young man, known to village children as “Uncle Snake.” Finally, it’s time to discover the glorious change that awaits him. On this third collaboration, Matthew Gollub and Leovigildo Martínez have woven a captivating story, again set amid the rich folk culture of Mr. Martínez’s native Oaxaca.

Américas Commended Book
Artwork honored by the Society of Illustrators in New York
Paintings and text displayed in over 20 museums nationwide

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781889910246
Publisher:	Tortuga Press
Publication date:	01/01/2002
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.20(d)
Language:	Spanish
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Matthew Gollub is a nationally known children’s author, speaker and performer. He has created 18 picture books which together have garnered 25 national awards and distinctions. His musical narrations on audio CDs accompany some of his most popular books including The Jazz Fly and Jazz Fly 2: The Jungle Pachanga. A dynamic drummer and bilingual presenter, he has also performed at over 1,000 elementary schools nationwide, inspiring students and families to read for fun. He lives with his family in Santa Rosa, CA.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-This beautifully illustrated and powerfully written book combines a compelling adventure story with folklore from Oaxaca. The slightly nightmarish story begins before there was lightning. A boy dares to enter a forbidden cave and finds children who have been given snake bodies. He runs home in terror, only to discover that his head has turned into a snake's head. His parents take him to different curanderos, or folk healers, but none can help him. Finally, he is taken to a nahual, an ancient kind of Aztec wizard, who tells him what he needs to do. The story ends by revealing that the boy's misadventures led to the origin of lightning, which the indigenous people considered a powerful life force. From the beginning, when Gollub writes that before lightning, storms were as dark as the "mouth of a wolf," the writing is filled with description that brings the story very much to life. The Spanish translation appears to be faithful and error-free. Martinez's vivid illustrations match the tone of the story perfectly. A helpful author's note at the end explains the folkloric origins of the story. The book, however, is a bit frightening and may be better suited to daytime sharing than bedtime reading. Highly recommended for libraries and bookstores.
—Rebecca Thatcher Murcia, Akron, PA Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Criticas

"A wonderful original folktale…filled with curanderos, snakes and fiesta dances." —School Library Journal



"A captivating tale, the resolution of which will bedazzle even the most impatient readers." —Kirkus Reviews



"Richly complex…illustrations, this pourquoi tale is spooky and dramatically compelling." —Booklist

From the Publisher