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A review by giannifoo
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh
5.0
Pancho is a young rabbit who is waiting for his Papa Rabbit to return home after traveling north to find work to help support his family after a drought left them in need. Pancho takes it upon himself to embark on a journey to find is Papa. He packs Papa’s favorite meal, and along the way, trades some of it in with a coyote who offers to help him travel in exchange for the food. Pancho’s journey becomes even more difficult when the coyote turns on him and decides he wants to eat him! Papa Rabbit comes to his rescue and they are finally reunited and free to safely return home. Unfortunately, all of Papa Rabbit’s money was stolen, so now the family is left wondering how they will be able to go north if they need to because of a continued drought.
Rich in Mexican American culture, this Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award winner can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. More advanced readers can note how the story is an allegory for possible real life events. Students can also research about Mexican migrants and immigration and connect their findings to the characters in the book. In diverse classrooms, students might have personal connections regarding immigration and can be invited to share them through writing or a medium of their choice. Even at the basic level, students can add this to their list of fable books and learn more about Mexican culture.
This book was a WOW book for me because it dealt with illegal immigration in a reasonable way. Told through an allegory, readers can deduce that the coyote in the story is representative of coyotes who help immigrants illegally cross borders. Often people are quick to judge illegal immigrants before understanding their personal stories and understanding why they might have to cross the border before getting papers in order to seek out a better life. This hit home for me because my mom and her two brothers illegally came into this country when she was 10 years old all by themselves. It was scary and dangerous, but they were willing to risk it all in order to leave their struggles in El Salvador and make better lives in the United States. Just like the characters in the story, their parents came to the United States first for financial reasons, making the cross over more dangerous but also that more necessary. They are all legal now and stand by their decisions as they have been able to get educations and raise myself and my cousins in this awesome country.
This is an important topic for discussion for children as they might be listening to some of the comments made in this year’s presidential election. Encouraging children to express empathy in the light of tough and eventually political decisions, can be a vital skill to have instilled in the future leaders of our country. Proceed this discussion with caution though, as you don’t want parents to think you are imposing you political views on their children. The key is to provide them with information and allow them to make their own connections and form their own opinions.
Rich in Mexican American culture, this Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award winner can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. More advanced readers can note how the story is an allegory for possible real life events. Students can also research about Mexican migrants and immigration and connect their findings to the characters in the book. In diverse classrooms, students might have personal connections regarding immigration and can be invited to share them through writing or a medium of their choice. Even at the basic level, students can add this to their list of fable books and learn more about Mexican culture.
This book was a WOW book for me because it dealt with illegal immigration in a reasonable way. Told through an allegory, readers can deduce that the coyote in the story is representative of coyotes who help immigrants illegally cross borders. Often people are quick to judge illegal immigrants before understanding their personal stories and understanding why they might have to cross the border before getting papers in order to seek out a better life. This hit home for me because my mom and her two brothers illegally came into this country when she was 10 years old all by themselves. It was scary and dangerous, but they were willing to risk it all in order to leave their struggles in El Salvador and make better lives in the United States. Just like the characters in the story, their parents came to the United States first for financial reasons, making the cross over more dangerous but also that more necessary. They are all legal now and stand by their decisions as they have been able to get educations and raise myself and my cousins in this awesome country.
This is an important topic for discussion for children as they might be listening to some of the comments made in this year’s presidential election. Encouraging children to express empathy in the light of tough and eventually political decisions, can be a vital skill to have instilled in the future leaders of our country. Proceed this discussion with caution though, as you don’t want parents to think you are imposing you political views on their children. The key is to provide them with information and allow them to make their own connections and form their own opinions.