Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #307355 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 28 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780761453437
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3–An original retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, with a Texas twist. Despite their mama's warnings about Chupacabra (goat-sucker), the monster that lives under the bridge, three cabritos (young goats) are determined to cross the Rio Grande to play music at a fiesta in Mexico. The smallest sibling reaches the crossing first and puts the hungry creature off with the promise of a better meal (his larger brother) and a bit of nervous fiddle playing. Soon, the middle brother arrives with his guitar and makes a similar escape. When the biggest goat approaches the bridge, he requests that he be allowed to play his accordion one last time before being gobbled up. Chupacabra agrees, but soon discovers that the instrument is magic: he must keep dancing until the music stops. Exhausted, he shrivels up into a husk as dry and brittle as a dead cactus. Kimmel builds to this humorous climax throughout the tale. The light tone is matched by Gilpin's glossy, pastel-hued cartoons. The protagonists are depicted with comically exaggerated features. Unlike the vampire-esque creature of modern urban legend, Chupacabra is shown as a not-too-frightening sky-blue blob. Match this fun variant with other versions of the original, e.g., Paul Galdone's classic (Clarion, 1981); stories set in the Southwest, such as Helen Ketteman's Armadilly Chili (Albert Whitman, 2004); or tales about the power of magic and music, like Pete Seeger's Abiyoyo (S & S, 1994).–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
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From Booklist
Noted folklorist Kimmel presents his own version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." Here the goats (cabritos) are on their way to Mexico for a fiesta across the border. Alas, each in his turn is stopped by Chupacabra, a legendary creature who attacks farm animals. The story follows the familiar form but with a decidedly Spanish-flavored bent, including Spanish words (defined in the glossary). In Kimmell's telling, it is the eldest brother who conquers the monster, not through might but by playing the accordion. (His accordion is a magical instrument, and it makes the chupacabra dance until he bursts.) The story moves briskly, but the fat, blue chupacabra is far from frightening, looking more like a Macy's holiday balloon than anything that would scary a hardy goat. Recommended for larger libraries or those serving Hispanic communities. Cooper, Ilene

Customer Reviews

Three Cabritos
I love Eric Kimmel's work. This is a wonderful adaptation of "The Three Billy Goat's Gruff." I teach at an elementary school, with 80% Hispanic students. They love his stories with the Spanish and English.

A different and fun multicultural approach to 'three billy goats gruff' ensues!
Eric A. Kimmel's THE THREE CABRITOS enjoys Stephen Gilpin's whimsical goat pictures as it tells of three young goats who decide to go to a Mexican fiesta despite their mother's warning about a monster who lives under the bridge along the way. They ignore her - but when the monster jumps out, how can they fight it? A different and fun multicultural approach to 'three billy goats gruff' ensues!

Who's Afraid of the Big Blue Chupacabra?
Honesty is a good policy, right? I should be honest with you right from the start then. Ladies and gentlement, I feel no shame when I tell you that I worship at the hallowed shrine of Eric A. Kimmel. Oh, don't look at me like that. It's not such an unusual thing to say. Consider the following situation: You've a class of itchy, hot, sticky, whiny third graders who want to be anywhere but your Story Hour Room listening to picture books. You know and I know that they will like these books once they get into them, but for a group this finicky you're going to need some real show stoppers. Picture books that wow them right from the get-go and don't release their grip until the kids are on their way home. To whom do you turn in your hour of need? What name leaps immediately to your lips? Sweet Eric A. Kimmel, of course. You whip out your copy of Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, and voila. Instant happiness and calm. There's something about Mr. Kimmel that can turn folktales, both classic and original, into readaloud pleasures. Now he's set his sights on that old Billy Goats Gruff tale but with a South American twist. The result is "The Three Cabritos" and a nicer addition to my storytime revue I haven't seen in months.

So there are these three cabritos, yes? Musical boys that they are, Reynald is small and fast and plays the fiddle. Orlando is the middle child and he plays the guitar. And Augustin is their big friendly brother, and he's good with an accordion. Everything is all peachy keen until the three hear about a fantastic fiesta that's being held in Mexico. The brothers are gung ho to go, in spite of their mother's warning to beware of the big, scary, infinitely hungry Chupacabra that lives under the bridge of the Rio Grande. Being the fastest, Reynald meets the creature first, but persuades it to wait for his older brother, rather than eat him. Orlando does the same, and when Augustin arrives he proves to be more than a match for the dance prone bridge dweller. A quick Author's Note and Pronunciation Guide for Spanish terms round out the story.

Well OF COURSE a Chupacabra would eat the three billy goats. What do all the legends of the Chupacabras say they eat, after all? Goats! So kudos to Mr. Kimmel for writing an alternative billy goat gruff story that makes perfect sense. I've seen versions done where the goats live in the inner city and where they are animals other than goats. To me, keeping the goat aspect of the story seems central to maintaining a connection to the original. Kimmel's also in lovely form with this book, keeping the tone light and the story hopping. The words and pictures are so cheery, in fact, that you remain completely oblivious to the whole "take my brother" aspect of the story. So well done there.

Illustrator Stephen Gilpin grew on me considerably too as I read through this tale. At first glance, I may have dismissed his pictures as being too computer graphicky. I was under some kind of impression that they were the slick byproduct of a series of ones and zeroes. On closer inspection, however, I could see that they were nothing of the sort. Gilpin works primarily in graphite. The colors are put in later with computers, yes, but the essential structure is hand-drawn and mighty appealing. He's also one of those illustrators that can draw the vertical pupils in a goat's eyes without making the critter look evil or possessed. As for the Chupacabra, he's rather cute. A gigantic blue furry guy who, when he dances (and he seems to do that a lot) looks positively impressed with his own hot moves. I wouldn't worry too much about your kids getting scared off by the villain in this book. If anything, they may have too much sympathy invested in the bad guy to cheer on his demise.

Authors have a variety of choices when it comes to working a little Spanish into their titles. As I see it, you've one of two choices. You can pluck out little words here and there and translate them into Spanish (ala The Bossy Gallito/El Gallo de Bodas or Chato and the Party Animals). There's that. Or you can just translate the whole kerschmozzle on the opposite page of a story and go entirely bilingual. Kimmel opts for the former, which is fine. The world certainly needs more bilingual books, but at this point we will take what we can get. Speaking of choices, I wonder if Kimmel took into special consideration whether or not the three brothers would be escaping the Chupacabra to get from the U.S. into Mexico rather than going from Mexico to America. That would just lend all kinds of interesting layers if it was the other way around, don't you think? Treatises, college papers, and who knows what all could be written interpreting this little picture book and its take on the current border situation with our southern neighbors. For simplicity's sake, the book doesn't veer in that direction. Still, it would have been something to talk about otherwise, no?

With the possible exception of the unlikely appearance of a magical accordion (a detail that rankled just a tad), I'm a wholehearted promoter of this title. You may wish to think about pairing this book alongside fellow partially bilingual title Número Uno by Arthur Dorros. Or perhaps you want another story from the same folktale but with an entirely different look? Consider Three Cool Kids by Rebecca Emberley. As for this book, it features a mighty fine pairing of author and illustrator. A folktale deviation well worth investigation.