The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote

May 2, 1994
The folklore of Mexico inspires this impressive collaboration by the talented creators of The Badger and the Magic Fan and Pages of Music . After clever Rabbit sneaks into a field one evening and feasts on the biggest chiles, the farmer sets up a beeswax ``farmer'' to trap the thief. When this imposter refuses to talk the next night, Rabbit (not so cleverly) punches it repeatedly, until his paws and feet are stuck in the wax. Thrilled with his catch, the real farmer throws the rabbit in a sack and plans to cook him. But the wily lapin convinces Coyote to take his place: ``This man wants me to marry his daughter . . . but I'm too young. Why don't you take my place?'' It is the first of many ruses the gullible Coyote falls for--with uproarious results--throughout the tale, which ultimately explains why coyotes howl at the moon. Spanish expressions worked into the pictures are translated in a glossary. A good part of the humor of this pungent Zapotec legend is delivered through dePaola's droll folk art, resplendent with the bronzed and dazzling hues of the Southwest. Both the palette and the patterns used here represent a departure for the artist, who outdoes himself in this fetching book. Ages 4-8.

June 1, 1994
K-Gr 4-An engaging retelling of an Oaxacan trickster/pourquoi tale that combines story elements from Brer Rabbit, the legend of Coyote swallowing the moon, and the rabbit in the moon. Rabbit's tricks escalate to a final comical episode in which he scampers up to the moon, hides the ladder, and leaves Coyote howling in frustration below. Creating a distinctly Mexican look, the book features bordered folk-art paintings positioned on a variety of vibrantly hued pages. dePaola uses colors freely, along with primitive design elements that include snippets of hand-lettered Spanish dialogue. (Readers who can't decipher their meaning can check the end of the story for translations and pronunciations). A picture-book folktale that is at once familiar and funny, yet different and distinctive.-Lee Bock, Brown County Public Libraries, Green Bay, WI

Starred review from May 15, 1994
Ages 4-8. Foolish Coyote is deceived again and again by trickster Rabbit in this humorous tale, rooted in the folklore of Oaxaca, Mexico. Rabbit is stuck fast to a wax image a farmer has placed in his field to punish Rabbit for stealing his chiles. Despite that, the wily trickster manages to dupe Coyote into taking his place in the stew pot. Coyote barely escapes, and in his angry pursuit of Rabbit, he is continuously outwitted. In one episode, he is tricked into drinking a lake full of water to reach the "cheese" Rabbit wants to share with him; the "cheese" is actually the full moon's reflection. In a "pourquoi"-style ending, Coyote is left howling at the real moon on which Rabbit has taken refuge. DePaola's vivid, spicy palette of gold, red, and turquoise tones and his use of folk-art borders evoke the desert setting and complement the broad humor of Johnston's text. A glossary of the Spanish phrases that pepper the illustrations is appended. The story blends many familiar folklore motifs, and the rabbit trickster brings to mind the antics of Brer Rabbit. An author's note indicates the source of the tale as a Spanish-language version by painter Francisco Toledo; a similar version of the tale in John Bierhorst's "Monkey's Haircut" (1986) cites older Mayan sources. A zesty collaboration. ((Reviewed May 15, 1994))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1994, American Library Association.)