Veinticinco Gatos Mixtecos Book

In this awaited Spanish translation of Gollub and Martinez's first book, the Mixtec Cats at last have come home to the expressive language of Mexico. In a dusty mountain village of the artist's own Oaxaca, the local healer returns from market with twenty-five pets. Though some people fear the unfamiliar kittens will eat everything in sight--and maybe even set fire to the fields--when an evil spell threatens a member of the community, the cats win their way into the villagers' hearts.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4--A medicine man (un curandero) lives in a mountain pueblo and cares for the sick in exchange for whatever the townspeople can afford to give. One day, he receives 25 Mixtec kittens. The townspeople become suspicious of the cats and ask an evil healer to get rid of them. When she fails, she is accused of being a fake--an accusation that prompts her to cast a spell on the sharp-tongued butcher. The woman falls ill, and it is only the gentle curandero and his companions who can save her. When the man becomes ill, it is the quick-thinking of his feline friends that saves the day and secures their place in the hearts of the community. This story reads well, whether alone or to a group. The narrative flows smoothly and contains many of the elements children love: a hero (and heroes), a villain, suspense, a rescue, and--naturally--a happy ending. Detailed cultural representation is evident in the artist's renderings of town life and dress. Martinez combines solid colors with lively line patterns that seem to set the villagers in motion. The sun-drenched colors effectively convey the feeling of a dry and dusty climate. A prime example of fine picture-book storytelling.--Donna J. Murray, Queens Borough Public Library, NY