Descriptions, Reviews, etc.
Description:
A prized apple tree, a dangerous bet, and a beautiful young woman--can Juan Verdades still be truthful by the end of the two-week bet?
Un manzano preciado, una apuesta peligrosa y una hermosa joven: ¿puede Juan Verdades seguir siendo sincero al final de la apuesta de dos semanas?
Brief description:
Joe Hayes is one of America's premier storytellers. He grew up in a small town in southern Arizona where he started learning Spanish from his classmates. As Hayes got older, he began reading the work of folklorists and anthropologists and gathering the old stories from the Southwest region. His books have received the Arizona Young Readers Award, two Land of Enchantment Children's Book Awards, the Texas Bluebonnet Award, and the National Storytelling Network Talking Leaves Award. He lives in New Mexico.
Review Quotes:
"Hayes's retelling of this tale is masterful. . . As a read-aloud, this story would be likely to evoke some lively discussion about honesty, and right and wrong." -- School Library Journal
"Hayes's sprinkling of Spanish phrases provide an authentic historical northern New Mexico setting that gives the story a strong sense of time and place, making this an interesting and unusual addition to folklore collections." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Flowing plot, enlivened by several wry twists, is decidedly satisfying. Spanish words and phrases dot the characters' dialogue, enhancing the regional flavor. . . Spare, earth-toned paintings convey the particulars of the setting from traditional garb to the sprawling landscapes as well as the timelessness of folklore." -- Publishers Weekly
"Hayes incorporates a sense of Spanish culture and vocabulary in his charming, romantic folktale, set in the old Southwest. The prose is almost lyrical, and the Spanish words are well defined in context. The artwork, in rich, earthy tones, is equally effective whether showing sweeping desert vistas or close-ups of the characters. An author's note describes the tale's origins and the changes Hayes has made in this version. A good choice for multicultural story times." -- Booklist
