El Adivino

Gr 2-4-In this folktale, a wily trickster named Lagartijo (Lizard) is tired of being poor and hungry. He decides to fool people into believing that he has magical powers. By dint of tricks and deception, he does manage to gain a reputation throughout his village especially when it comes to finding lost articles. One day, the viceroy commands him to appear at the palace and help him find a lost ring; Lagartijo understands that failure is not an option. As he is about to give up hope, fate intervenes to get him out of this predicament. This delightful story is enhanced by charming color illustrations done in a combination of pastel on canvas with separate charcoal drawings of the title character. This entertaining read-aloud will be popular in schools and public libraries. MOB