Book Review (Traditional Literature): The Three Cabritos

Bibliography
Kimmel, Eric A. 2007. THE THREE CABRITOS. Illus. Stephen Gilpin. Marshall Cavendish Children: Tarrytown, NY. ISBN 9780761453437

Summary
In this retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, three cabritos (or goats in Spanish), attempt to cross a bridge over the Rio Grande in order to get to a fiesta in Mexico, but have to get past the Chupacabra (or monster) first.

Critical Analysis
Most children have heard the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, but Kimmel incorporates the Mexican/South Texas culture in this retelling. The characters are still three goats, or cabritos, but the troll is replaced by the legendary Chupacabra, who is rumored to suck goats until they look like dead cacti. The setting of the story is South Texas, along the Mexican border, which adds another cultural reference to the story. The theme still sticks with traditional literature in that it portrays good conquering evil. The illustrator included images that add depth to the story by using a pencil, and color was added using PhotoShop. The highlight of this book was how the South Texas/Mexican culture was incorporated in the story. Kimmel even includes a glossary in the back of the book with pronunciation and meaning of the Spanish words used in the book.

Review Excerpt
Noted folklorist Kimmel presents his own version of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Here the goats (cabritos) are on their way to Mexico for a fiesta across the border. Alas, each in his turn is stopped by Chupacabra, a legendary creature who attacks farm animals. The story follows the familiar form but with a decidedly Spanish-flavored bent, including Spanish words (defined in the glossary). In Kimmell’s telling, it is the eldest brother who conquers the monster, not through might but by playing the accordion. (His accordion is a magical instrument, and it makes the chupacabra dance until he bursts.) The story moves briskly, but the fat, blue chupacabra is far from frightening, looking more like a Macy’s holiday balloon than anything that would scary a hardy goat. Recommended for larger libraries or those serving Hispanic communities. Ilene Cooper, Booklist

Strengths and Weaknesses
The strength of this book is that it incorporates the Mexican culture in a fun way. Also, instead of using violence to fight the "monster," the cabritos use music and their brains to get across the bridge. One of the weaknesses of this book is that it is almost identical to The Three Billy Goats Gruff, therefore nothing truly fresh or different was delivered to the reader.

Personal Response and Connections
As I was reading the book, I wondered if the book was culturally insensitive since it was written by a non-Mexican. I often wonder about the gray area of telling about a culture without it coming across as insensitive. On the back flap of the book, the reader is told that Kimmel often re-tells stories from other cultures. I think he does a terrific job of writing about and respecting the Mexican culture in this book.

There are many activities that could be done with this book. This book could be used as a springboard for discussion on the Mexican culture. This is would be especially good if there are students of Spanish or Mexican descent in the group because they may be able to share insights into the story and add their own traditions. This book would also make a terrific compare and contrast activity with the original story.