Pub Date: November 1, 2008
Dewey: E
LCCN: 2008011635
Lexile Code: 0000
Features: Illustrated, Price on Product
Target Age Group: 05 to 12
Physical Info: 0.37" H x 11.24" L x 8.74" W ( 0.97 lbs) 40 pages
Description: Meet Santa's newest helper: his cousin Pancho, a farmer living down in South Texas. Pancho was once a mariachi singer. One night his "primo" Santa Claus showed up and asked for help along the US/Mexico border. And then, "poof," Santa transformed Pancho into the resplendent Charro Claus. Full color.
Brief description: Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, author and lucha libre aficionado Xavier Garza is a prolific and enthusiastic author, artist, and storyteller whose work focuses primarily on his experiences growing up in the small border town of Rio Grande City and is a lively documentation of the dreams, superstitions, and heroes in the bigger-than-life world of South Texas. Garza has exhibited his art and performed his stories in venues throughout Texas, Arizona and the state of Washington. He has authored and illustrated fourteen books, and has received such prestigious awards as the Americas Honor Book Award in 2005, the Tejas Star Book Award three times from 2007-2010 and the Pura Belpré Honor Book award in 2012. In 2014 he was awarded both the NAACS Tejas Young Adult Book Award and the Texas Institute of Letters Children's Book Award. In 2019 Xavier Garza will be inducted into the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters. Garza lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife Irma and their teen son Vincent.
Review Quotes: "Garza's original text and bold, full-page illustrations will surely pull readers into the excitement of this new 'border' story. A wonderful acquisition." -- Críticas
"The full-spread paintings are bright and energetic ... A cheerful purchase." -- School Library Journal "Charro Claus is the perfect gift for the children of your Minute Men relatives." -- San Antonio Current "Bold, stylized cartoon-like illustrations help this creative author/illustrator tell the story of Santa Claus' Mexican cousin--telling it in both English and Spanish." --Children's Literature "[This] bilingual retelling of the Santa Claus myth with a South Texas twist, brought vividly to life by Garza's colorful, expressive drawings." --San Antonio Express-News book blog "This fascinating story reflects small-town Texas life and the magic of the holiday season." --Tucson Citizen "This charming story will be embraced by children who do not see their lieves reflected in the traditional snowy Santa tales. Recommended."--REFORMA Newsletter