Josefina Javelina-A Hairy Tale

Book Review:

Josefina Javelina-A Hairy Tale, written by Susan Lowell and illustrated by Bruce MacPherson, is an enchanting tale about following your dreams. Josefina has a dream to become a famous ballerina and play her concertina. When Josefina receives a letter from her cousin Angelina in Pasadena, she decides to leave her family and her comfortable, easy-going life in the desert to visit her cousin and pursue her dream.
In the bustling life of California, Josefina's doubts about her talent agent, White E. Lamb, become reality when Lamb is really R. Ben Coyote, who is just waiting to gobble her up, rather than make her a star. As Josefina and Angelina escape from Coyote, they get caught in a vivacious parade. Josefina energetically leaps and graciously twirls to break free from the chomping fangs of Coyote. Everybody watching the parade idolizes her moves, and Josefina is instantly a Hollywood star.

There is only one remaining problem - Josefina is terribly homesick. Her sadness dissolves when Julio, from the Oasis Snack Bar and Cantina back at home, calls and humbly asks her to perform. Without hesitation, she returns home to the desert and continues her dream of dancing and playing music. Josefina learns that dreams do come true yet realizes her true happiness is simply her talent and her home.

Through her characters, settings, and descriptions, Susan Lowell gives readers a vivid image of life in the Sonoran Desert. A text full of javelinas, prickly pears, saguaros, sunsets, and coyotes howling at the moon paint an explicit picture of the setting. The easy-going lifestyle of the Southwest desert is driven home when compared to the fast-paced, chaotic life of California. The Hispanic culture, also very relevant to the southwest, is woven through the book by the names of the javelinas- Josefina, José, Juan, and Julio and through the salsa tunes that keep the oasis bar and cantina jiving nightly. Lowell also combines syllables of the English and Spanish languages, creating intriguing words such as "bum-issimo" and "fabu-lissimo." Her continuous and inventive play on words successfully captivates the minds and hearts of readers. Lowell's theatrical and "super-mega-tastic" story emphasizes similes, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia and keeps readers fascinated from one page to the next.

Bruce MacPherson's whimsical illustrations and amazing attention to detail complete the book, making it a necessity for every classroom. He captures the picturesque landscape of the desert with vibrant colors of sunsets. Due to MacPherson's wide range of colors and precise detail, textures of rocks, cactus, and animal furs can nearly be felt by readers. Together, Susan Lowell and Bruce MacPherson have created a gem for an audience of all ages.

To read interviews with Susan Lowell, link to the following web pages.
http://www4.nau.edu/swchildlit/pages/tlj3.html
http://www4.nau.edu/swchildlit/pages/dltb3.htm
To view artwork by Bruce MacPherson, link to the following web page.
http://www.workbook.com/assignment/artist.lasso?pID=AR018163&pane=workbook&pageID=WB27_ILL_0362%7C3&sID=135224&offset=5

About the Book | Book Review | Children's Voices | Lesson Plan | About the Reviewers