My Pig Amarillo by Satomi Ichikawa
My review won't be that objective for that book. I loved this story of Pablito and his pet pig, Amarillo because it took place in the tiny Guatemalan village of Todos Santos. Todos Santos is a place I was lucky enough to visit during the Spring of 2000.
Ichikawa's illustrations are absolutely stunning....even though she does not mention the village by name I knew it immediately by her colorful drawings of people, buildings, and geography.
Her story is cute and touching. It is about Pablito, a young boy who raises and evenutally loses his pet pig. Pablito is filled with the same sadness as anyone who has lost a pet feels. His grandfather helps him come to grips with his loss by practicing the ancient custom of sending a message to the deceased on All Saints Day (Todos Santos in Spanish). Pablito then constructs a kite to send his message. Pablito then recieves a message back in the form of a large cloud formation that looks just like Pablito.
This is a good book for examining how different cultures deal with loss. There is an introduction to a few Spanish words (my one complaint about the book, because it takes part in a portion of Guatemala where Spanish is not the principal language). Many of Ichikawa's books deal with places she has visited and I can't wait to explore more of her books.
I recommend this book strongly for those 6 and over.
Ichikawa's illustrations are absolutely stunning....even though she does not mention the village by name I knew it immediately by her colorful drawings of people, buildings, and geography.
Her story is cute and touching. It is about Pablito, a young boy who raises and evenutally loses his pet pig. Pablito is filled with the same sadness as anyone who has lost a pet feels. His grandfather helps him come to grips with his loss by practicing the ancient custom of sending a message to the deceased on All Saints Day (Todos Santos in Spanish). Pablito then constructs a kite to send his message. Pablito then recieves a message back in the form of a large cloud formation that looks just like Pablito.
This is a good book for examining how different cultures deal with loss. There is an introduction to a few Spanish words (my one complaint about the book, because it takes part in a portion of Guatemala where Spanish is not the principal language). Many of Ichikawa's books deal with places she has visited and I can't wait to explore more of her books.
I recommend this book strongly for those 6 and over.
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