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Estrella Rivera runs so fast that she burns the air around her, leaving behind a glowing trail of flame. During the California Gold Rush, Estrella must rescue her three pets from the ghosts of Luckless Gulch. Her dog, Comet, is a Rubberado puppy who can bounce so high he fairly flies and eats rocks. Her two other pets are a Sidehill Wowser who looks like a short furry horse whose downhill legs are twice as long as its uphill legs, and a Kickle Snifter who is small as a lamb but strong as an elephant. Estrella scares the ghosts underground where the tunnels they dig cause the California mountains to rise up and the Whitewood trees to rise so close to the sun that they get sunburned and are now the Redwoods. In fact you can still feel earthquakes in California wherever those ghosts are digging.
Anne Isaacs, author of Swamp Angel, has created another fanciful tall tale about another great heroine. The charming illustrations include hilarious details that children will love to discover. Perfect for units on tall tales, this story would also be a great way to introduce the history of the California gold rush.
Reviewer: Janell Pearce-Mattheus, Youth Services Librarian, Whitmore Library.
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