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NEW
All Aboard for Dreamland 
Shu-Li and Tamara
The Heretic’s Tomb
Honey Cake
The Eco-Diary of
Kiran Singer
Baad Animals
The Emerald Curse
Abby's Birds
Fairy Tale Feasts
Bamboo
What Happened This Summer
Nannycatch Chronicles
Crocodiles Say
If I Had a Million Onions
Zig Zag
The Clone Conspiracy
A Telling Time
For Sure For Sure
Floyd the Flamingo
The Sorcerer's Letterbox
The Bone Collector's Son
Rescuing Einstein's Compass
The Island of the Minotaur
The Alchemist's Portrait
The Sea King
The Jade Necklace
My Animal Firends
Aziz: The Storyteller
Pacific Tree Frogs
BACKLIST TITLES
Pigmalion
Strange Beginnings
Huevos Rancheros
Lucy and the Pirates
The Girl who Lost her Smile
Mama God, Papa God
Mr. Belinsky's Bagels
Wherever Bears Be
Where are my Onions?
The Zoo at Night
Maudie and the Children
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| Reviews |
Huevos Rancheros
written and illustrated by Stefan Czernecki
Huevos Rancheros by Stefan Czernecki is a gloriously
uplifting picture book (Tradewind Books) which
turns a Mexican trickster tale on its head. Marcelina,
a caged hen who longs for freedom, answers an ad
placed by Padre Tomas. He needs an egg-layer for his
huevos rancheros (a traditional Mexican egg and salsa
dish, recipe supplied) because all the hens have been
devoured by the Coyote, lured by its soulful songs.
Czernecki's highly decorative illustrations, informed
by Mexican folk art, match the bold, joyous flavour of
the story, in which Marcelina sets out to reform
Coyote. Mouth-wateringly good. - Elaine Williams, Times Educational Supplement, 28 June 2002
The Manitoba International Reading Association
recommends Huevos Rancheros in their "Reading about
Diversity" list of recommended books.
National Library of Canada
"I loved this story with its cheerfully hidden moral. It made me want to sing a coyote song,
dance in the moonlight, and cook myself some delicious huevos rancheros! Buen provecho!" - Eve Bunting, author of Smoky Night
"Huevos Rancheros" is Stefan Czernecki's answer to
sustainable living. Marcelina is a hen who knows how
to accomplish goals, enjoys music and avoid danger.
Complete with a recipe for a tasty Mexican breakfast.--
BC Bookworld, Summer 2002
Clever chicken
Marcelina convinces hungry coyote that
huevos rancheros are much more delicious
than plain old chicken. Bright, bold illustrations
complement a thoroughly satisfying
trickster tale.
-- Bank Street Bookstore April 2002
Is there life beyond the cage? Is there a calling
beyond laying eggs? Well, yes, and Marcelina, a plucky
hen is determined to find it. When an add for a hen
appears in "The National Eggsaminer," Marcelina takes
advantage of an open cage door, hops a bus, and heads
for the small town of Coyotapec where, to her intense
irritation, she is again locked in a cage. Discovering
that her nemesis is a hen-eating coyote, Marcelina
befriends the scoundrel and convinces him that a good
meal of her tasty "huevos rancheros" is far better
than a mouthful of raw chicken. This tale is
reminiscent of but textually weaker than both Verna
Ardeema's "Borreguita and the Coyote" ( Random, 1998)
and Keiko Kurza's "The Wolf's Chicken Stew"
(Putnam.1987). The illustrations are amusing. Painted
in guache on amate bark paper, the cartoon forms are
simple and humorous. The use of big blocks of clean,
bright colors makes them eye-catching, while the
consistent presence of the moon, with a mustachioed
face, a sombrero and constantly changing expressions,
adds a further note of levity. The text on the pages
facing the illustrations is boxed by traditional
"papel picado" borders, increasing the attractiveness
of the finished product considerably. -- School Library Journal April 2002
Huevos Rancheros: A Mexican Tale is written and
illustrated by Stefan Czernecki. Here is the folklore
story of a Mexican trickster, the tale of
a brave and clever hen who must outsmart a coyote
through charm and good cooking. Boldly colored
illustrations bring this vivid children's
story into sharp relief, and the last page offers an
easy-to-follow recipe for young people who want to
make and try Huevos Rancheros. Also
highly recommended for school and library collections
is Stefan Czernecki's previous folklore-based
picturebook for young readers, Mama
God, Papa God: A Caribbean Tale.Midwest Book Review February 2002
"Huevos Rancheros (is one of) 10 new tales to grow on: Once you've read these future favourites to your kids,
you'll only have another 990 to go before they start reading themselves.... Fall in love with Marcelina, a dancing
chicken who dreams of freedom and is clever enough to outsmart the trickster coyote. Breakfast has never been as
charmingly portrayed as in this eye-candy book, both written and illustrated by Vancouver's Stefan Czernecki."
-- Sara O'Leary Vancouver Sun November 3, 2001 |
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