BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Living in the Canals around Mexico City is a creature called a water monster or an axolotl. It is not a monster, but actually, a salamander that will never lose its gills or fins. The water monster starts as an egg in the canal. It grows a mouth, a tail, long fins, and three pairs of gills before it hatches. The tadpole sprouts four grey legs with thin toes. It hides from predators and searches for food. It finds a mate and lays eggs. The axolotls are disappearing as the canals become more polluted.
Not a Water Monster is an easy and enjoyable read about a unique and interesting creature. Martinez engages the reader with a few key Spanish words (Branquias-gills) with a dictionary page in the back. I enjoyed trying to guess what each Spanish word meant and then looking the definition up in the back. She also used Spanish words for the colors (rojas – red) and the word was printed in the color. The effect of her use of a few Spanish words created an exotic effect. The illustrations are adorable.
PGPowers
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