Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. With echoes of Tar Baby and other African American trickster tales, this lively yarn from Peru and Bolivia focuses on Cuy, a wily guinea pig that uses its brain to outwit a hungry fox and a powerful farmer. The dramatic wood-block artwork, with thick black lines and bright watercolors, first shows tiny Cuy, high in the Andes Mountains, in search of something to eat. Along comes the fox Tio Antonio hunting Cuy, who escapes by convincing the fox that the sky is falling and tricking him to hold it up with a rock. Later, after being trapped by a farmer's sticky gum doll and marked for the farmer's dinner, Cuy deceives the fox into taking his place. Knutson, who has lived in Peru, includes an author's note as well as a glossary and pronunciation guides for the Spanish and Quechua words that are part of the text. An appealing tale of a trickster being tricked, this has solid child appeal. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-Cuy, a clever guinea pig, manages to escape three times from a hungry fox. In their final encounter, Cuy, trapped by a sticky doll and tied to a tree by a farmer, talks T'o Antonio into switching places with him. The plot moves along smoothly and is punctuated by humorous dialogue. An author's note includes a simple map of the region, an explanation of a trickster tale, and several sources for the story. A glossary provides a pronunciation guide for the Spanish and Quechua words incorporated into the text. Knutson's boldly outlined, vibrant woodcut-and-watercolor artwork captures the mischievous nature of the guinea pig. Observant children will delight in the visual and cultural details and in the energy of these illustrations. A thoroughly enjoyable tale that deserves a place in most libraries.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) In this delightfully sly Peruvian folktale, Cuy the Guinea Pig twice tricks Tio Antonio the Fox to avoid being eaten; afterward, not wanting to push his luck, Cuy (pronounced kwee, Quechuan for guinea pig) heads down to the valley to keep out of the fox's way. Disguised in a poncho and hat, devious Cuy is hired to tend an alfalfa field (""'What a small man,' thought the farmer""). It's the perfect scheme: Cuy plans to work by day and gorge himself on alfalfa by night. But the farmer has a trick of his own -- involving a sticky gum doll (cousin to Brer Rabbit's tar baby) -- to catch the alfalfa thief. The plot twists and turns energetically; in the end, Cuy saves himself from becoming dinner by fooling Tio Antonio yet again. Knutson's robust prints, characterized by heavy black lines and subdued colors, are remarkably effective in conveying expressions and humor. An author's note discusses sources (Knutson says she ""combined and rearranged my favorite versions""), and a glossary/pronunciation guide translates the Spanish words and phrases that infuse the narrative. As the farmer says about Cuy, Que tramposo! What a trickster! (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From Anansi the Spider to B'rer Rabbit, trickster tales appear in cultures the world over. Knutson offers a less familiar trickster in the lovable Cuy the Hamster of Peru. The gullible Tío Antonio the Fox is his most constant victim, for the quick-thinking Cuy can ever turn near defeat into smashing victory. He manages to get the fox to hold up a rock to prevent the sky from falling and to hide in a den to await the fiery end of the world. He also fools a farmer into thinking he's a very small field worker so he can eat an endless supply of alfalfa. Even an encounter with a sticky figure à la "Tar Baby" turns into triumph. Using heavy black outline and tones of blues, browns, and yellows, the wood-block illustrations zoom in on the characters and capture all the humor of the zany situations. An all-around laugh-out-loud delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
