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By Susan Lowell; illustrated by Jim Harris. For ages 3-8. In this humorous Southwestern variant of the familiar story, three desert javelinas (hairy cousins to the ordinary pig) set off one day to seek their fortunes. The first makes his home from a pile of tumbleweeds. Soon after, Coyote arrives and effortlessly blows it away to get at the plump little creature. Shaken, the portly javelina runs to his brother's house, which is built from the sticks of a dried saguaro cactus. Coyote, as sneaky as he is quick, demolishes that shaky structure and sends two frightened javelinas running into the desert. The brothers eventually find refuge in the home of their sister. This smart little javelina has constructed her home out of sturdy adobe bricks. Unable to huff and a puff his way in, Coyote tries entering through the stove pipe on the roof. When sister javelina realizes what he is up to, she quickly lights her pot-belly stove and sends Coyote howling into the desert (an action he repeats to this day). This engaging retelling appears in both Spanish and English, and has many accurate regional details. The text is fast-paced and witty in both languages, and is accompanied by energetic, full-page illustrations done in rich earthy tones that evoke the setting as faithfully as the text. Whether read aloud or in amused solitude, this is a picture book that will be enjoyed again and again. Hardcover; 32 pages.
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