Un pueblo lleno de bestias

Gr 2—4—Leobardo lives in a boring town without children. He encounters only ladies and gentlemen, old men and women, five vagabonds, four police officers, three robbers, two taxi drivers, and a postman. The cover of the book shows the child's sadness. Moved by the adventure stories he reads, he decides to go to Tierra Dulce (Sweet Land). He discovers that many children live there-pirate children who also escaped from his town. Their happiness is interrupted when their parents invade the island, bringing them back to Cerro Verde. This time the children challenge the authorities by becoming heroes and bringing a happy ending to the story. Hinojosa is one of the most popular poets in Mexico and his warm and familiar voice gives the narration an authentic flavor filled with humor. In his colors and sandlike textures, Monroy captures the emotions and sensibilities of childhood.—Irania Macias Patterson, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, NC