Review by Booklist Review
One night, goats Jayna, Bumsie, and Pep worry the chupacabra might come to dinner. (The only thing Jayna knows about the chupacabra is that it likes to eat goats.) Hoping to scare him off, the not-so-intrepid trio departs with a candelabra providing light. Sure enough, they find the sharp-fanged creature, who jumps out and gobbles the candelabra. Their next encounter ends with the creature eating a cucaracha. Alas, the chupacabra's still hungry, and the goats fear their time has come. However, his most-favorite food of all is also the most surprising. Vibrant folk-style illustrations in watercolor, ink, and gouache depict the expressive goats and the sometimes looming but never very scary chupacabra. The somewhat lengthy narrative incorporates plenty of lively touches, from the goats' humorous wordplay to some playfully formatted text. The book doesn't have a glossary or pronunciation key for the occasional Spanish words, and without foreknowledge of some elements (knowledge of a certain type of cheese and the idiom the whole enchilada), some story aspects might not come across. Still, an amusing take on the legendary beast.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nobleman (Boys of Steel) introduces a comic trio-three goats named Pep, Bumsie and Jayna-who debate the best way to handle the goat-eating chupacabra that lurks atop a nearby hill. Jayna, the bravest, proposes a pre-emptive attack: "There's lots of us and only one of him." Bumsie is anxiety-ridden: "W-what does the chupacabra eat for b-breakfast?" ("Goats," Jayna replies.) And Pep's a realist: "No veggies?" They meet the monster soon enough, and though they succeed in temporarily distracting it with other objects to devour (candelabras! cucarachas!), the moment of truth arrives as the chupacabra reveals its favorite food-which does indeed start with "goat." References to Latin American food and culture appear throughout ("The whole chimichanga," says the chupacabra, and Pep corrects, "You mean 'the whole enchilada' "), and debut illustrator Aranda's vibrant mixed-media artwork amplifies the book's cross-cultural brand of humor; her chupacabra, with its beady nose, spiky purple ears, and lovely flowered hide, wouldn't threaten a cat (although it throws a scary shadow). Readers will be sorry when this one is over. Ages 5-8. Illustrator's agent: Adriana Domínguez, Full Circle Literary. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-One night three goats meet to discuss what to do about the chupacabra, who likes to eat goats. They decide to seek him out to scare him away. When they locate him, they discover he does have a second and third favorite thing to eat, but what will happen when he requests his absolute favorite thing? The goats don't want to find out! The three goats all have distinct personalities, each adding comic relief and fun wordplay. The ending is slightly surprising but satisfying. Narrator Luis Moreno gives each goat a unique voice, while the chupacabra has a delightfully gruff voice. A second track follows with page-turn signals. VERDICT A funny audiobook best enjoyed alongside the print book. ["This enjoyable monster book is perfect for storytime read-alouds or anytime a humorously spooky tale is in order": SLJ 1/17 review of the Nancy Paulsen book.]-Elizabeth -Elsbree, Krug Elementary School, Aurora, IL © Copyright 2017. 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.
