The Dog Who Loved Tortillas / La perrita que le encantaban las tortillas

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Geronimo Garcia (Illustrator)

Overview

In this charming picture book by award-winning author Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Diego and Gabriela discover that taking care of a new puppy isn't as easy as they imagined!

En este encantador libro ilustrado del galardonado autor Benjamín Alire Sáenz, Diego y Gabriela descubren que cuidar de un nuevo cachorro no es tan fácil como imaginaban.

Like all kids, Little Diego and his big sister Gabriela argue over their new dog Sofie. "She belongs to me," says Diego. "No, she's mine," says Gabriela. It's only when Sofie gets really sick that they find out who their tortilla-loving pup really belongs to.

Once again, Benjamin Alire Sáenz shows he understands the chemistry and dynamics of family, this time with a dog stirring up the recipe. The illustrations for The Dog Who Loved Tortillas are by Geronimo Garcia, who created the characters of Little Diego and Gabriela first introduced in Sáenz's early best-selling title A Gift from Papá Diego.

Como todos los niños, Dieguito y su hermana mayor, Gabriela, se pelean sobre su nueva perrita, Sofie. "Es mia", dice Diego. "No, es mía", dice Gabriela. Pero cuando se enferma Sofie, se dan cuenta de quién tiene la razón.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781933693668
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	05/29/2012
Series:	Little Diego Series
Edition description:	Bilingual Edition
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,077,121
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Language:	Spanish
Lexile:	520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an award-winning novelist, poet, and writer of children's books. His many acclaimed titles include the picture books A Gift from Papá Diego, The Dog Who Loved Tortillas, and A Perfect Season for Dreaming; the young adult novels Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood and Last Night I Sang to the Monster; and the adult story collection Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, all from Cinco Puntos Press. His Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe won the Printz Award, young adult literature's highest honor. Ben lives and works in El Paso, Texas. Visit his website at benjaminsaenz.com.

Geronimo Garcia is an internationally recognized graphic designer and the illustrator of Benjamin Alire Sáenz's picture books A Gift for Papa Diego and The Dog Who Loved Tortillas. He hand-crafted the little clay figures for both books and also created their colorful book designs. He lives in El Paso, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

"Love, moral support and a bit of faith bring the drama to a happy conclusion while brother and sister gain insight into the sharing of all the responsibilities and joys of pet owning... A universal message with a Latino flavor." — Kirkus Reviews

"Ably portrays mischievous sibling dynamics, a love of animals and the ways families come together during difficult times... Set against colorful solid backdrops, Garcia's clay artwork has an appropriately homey quality that keeps the focus on the siblings and their beloved pet." — Publishers Weekly

"A captivating bilingual book with close family relationships and unconditional love at its core... Full-page innovative and colorful clay illustrations will hold the attention of young readers." — Library Journal

Tejas Star Reading List - Texas Library Association (TLA)

From the Publisher

Diego Domínguez from A Gift from Papá Diego (1998) returns in this bilingual sequel that sees the boy’s family gaining a new member—a puppy from the Humane Society named Sofie. Diego and his older sister, Gabriela, both want a dog of their own, but agree to share (“But it will be more mine, Diego thought. But it will be more mine, Gabriela thought. Diego smiled at his sister. She smiled back at him”). Though the siblings initially find Sofie difficult to train, they learn that the puppy (like the rest of the family) is a big fan of Mrs. Domínguez’s homemade tortillas, which they use to help her learn tricks. The length of Sáenz’s text almost makes the book read like a short story—one that ably portrays mischievous sibling dynamics, a love of animals and the ways families come together during difficult times (Sofie falls ill at one point). Set against colorful solid backdrops, Garcia’s clay artwork has an appropriately homey quality that keeps the focus on the siblings and their beloved pet. Ages 5–10. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 3–A captivating bilingual book with close family relationships and unconditional love at its core. When Gabriela and Diego ask for a dog, their parents tell them that they will have to share, which the siblings reluctantly accept. The family goes to the Humane Society, where Gabriela chooses the perfect puppy and Diego chooses the perfect name: Sofie. They bathe her, battle for the right to sleep with her, help in her training, and both claim to love her more than the other. While teaching her a trick, the children discover the pup loves tortillas; soon she is known to the entire neighborhood for her gentleness, sweetness, and as the dog who loves tortillas. When Sofie gets sick, the children finally learn to share her. Full-page innovative and colorful clay illustrations will hold the attention of young readers. The Spanish corresponds to the vernacular used by some Hispanic-American communities in the Southwest of the U.S. One of its characteristics is the elimination of conjunctions and articles used in standard Spanish. Both versions have a few typos.–Narda McCarthy, Para Los Niños, Broward County, FL

School Library Journal

A new dog, Sofie, joins the family introduced in A Gift from Papa Diego (1998), to the absolute joy of the children, Little Diego and Gabriela. Though there is much competition between siblings as to whose dog she is and who loves her more, the controversy quickly ends when Sofie becomes seriously ill and the family endures two days and nights of anxiety and fear. Love, moral support and a bit of faith bring the drama to a happy conclusion while brother and sister gain insight into the sharing of all the responsibilities and joys of pet owning: Too many tortillas may not be such a good thing for the rambunctious puppy. Garcia's signature folk-inspired, sculpted clay illustrations depict a lovably goofy little mutt; rounded shapes-heads, dog bed, tortillas and more-combine with a warm palette to create a cozy, comforting atmosphere that reflects the traditions of Mexican-American family life described in the dual English/Spanish narrative. A universal message with a Latino flavor. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews