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The Dog Who Loved Tortillas / La perrita que le encantaban las tortillas
This is a bilingual book for kids and dogs and even their parents. Like all kids, Little Diego and his big sister Gabriela argue over their new dog Sofie. She belongs to me, says Diego. No, she’s mine, says Gabriela. It’s only when Sofie gets really sick that they find out who their tortilla-loving pup really belongs to. Once again, Benjamin Alire Sáenz shows he understands the chemistry and dynamics of family, this time with a dog stirring up the recipe. The illustrations for The Dog Who Loved Tortillas are by Geronimo Garcia, who created the characters of Little Diego and Gabriela first introduced in Sáenz’s early best-selling title A Gift from Papá Diego (sixty thousand copies in print).
Benjamin Alire Sáenz received three starred Publishers Weekly reviews in 2008—one for his young adult novel He Forgot to Say Goodbye (Simon & Schuster) and two for his illustrated book A Perfect Season for Dreaming (Cinco Puntos Press). Long at the forefront of the emerging Latino literature in the United States, he has received both the Wallace Stegner and Lannan fellowships, and he is a recipient of the American Book Award. His young adult novel Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood was named one of the Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults in 2005. Saenz lives in El Paso, Texas.
Geronimo Garcia is a highly successful and internationally recognized graphic designer. He lives in El Paso, Texas.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz received three starred Publishers Weekly reviews in 2008—one for his young adult novel He Forgot to Say Goodbye (Simon & Schuster) and two for his illustrated book A Perfect Season for Dreaming (Cinco Puntos Press). Long at the forefront of the emerging Latino literature in the United States, he has received both the Wallace Stegner and Lannan fellowships, and he is a recipient of the American Book Award. His young adult novel Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood was named one of the Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults in 2005. Saenz lives in El Paso, Texas.
Geronimo Garcia is a highly successful and internationally recognized graphic designer. He lives in El Paso, Texas.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2009
About the author
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
39 books15.8k followersBenjamin Alire Sáenz (born 16 August 1954) is an award-winning American poet, novelist and writer of children's books.
He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.
In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.
His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.
In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.
In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.
He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.
He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.
In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.
His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.
In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.
In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.
He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 28, 2023
This was a Real Men Read selection for the third grade class to which I read.
I believe this is the first biligual book I have had assigned. Half the page english / half the page Spanish.
Of course I read some of the book in Spanish.... only for the confusion and entertainment of my two spanish speakers. Let's just say my Spanish pronounciation seem to be in an unfamiliar dialect to them. Not the first time I've had that happen.
Anyway, a rather pedestrian story of a family who adopted a puppy which proceeded to become beloved, then become sick, then become well and things were happy.
The most engaging part was the kids commenting on the claymation illustrations by Geronimo Garcia, and notice a strange circular symbon on almost every page. We finally decided it was the sun and it became a focal point as we turned each page..
For a treat, I brought in store bought yellow corn tortillas and white corn tortillas for them to sample and compare.
E..., one of the spanish speakers, turned up his nose and screwed up his face - My mom make delicious tortillas! These are terrible!
I agree E...., I've never figured out why store bought tortillas taste so bad, but they sure last a long time.
I believe this is the first biligual book I have had assigned. Half the page english / half the page Spanish.
Of course I read some of the book in Spanish.... only for the confusion and entertainment of my two spanish speakers. Let's just say my Spanish pronounciation seem to be in an unfamiliar dialect to them. Not the first time I've had that happen.
Anyway, a rather pedestrian story of a family who adopted a puppy which proceeded to become beloved, then become sick, then become well and things were happy.
The most engaging part was the kids commenting on the claymation illustrations by Geronimo Garcia, and notice a strange circular symbon on almost every page. We finally decided it was the sun and it became a focal point as we turned each page..
For a treat, I brought in store bought yellow corn tortillas and white corn tortillas for them to sample and compare.
E..., one of the spanish speakers, turned up his nose and screwed up his face - My mom make delicious tortillas! These are terrible!
I agree E...., I've never figured out why store bought tortillas taste so bad, but they sure last a long time.
January 24, 2019
This book would be classified as realistic fiction. This book is bilingual, so English on one side and Spanish on the other. I only read the Spanish side of the book. It details two little kids who want a dog, got a dog, and the dog got sick. I think this book would be good for lower elementary because the lesson of coming together for the better of the whole is the message of the book and this is something younger kids are still learning. The illustrations and storyline also are more directed towards lower elementary. The illustrations were also unique because it was claymation which is a different type of art for students to explore as well.
April 3, 2021
Very long for a picture book, felt more like an easy reader/chapter book. I would recommend for ages 1st grade and up.
February 24, 2017
Yeah. I like bilingual books, and the sort of suspense/heart with the dog's sickness were effective, but it just annoys me so much when kids in books or movies are annoying brats.
The art is cool, since it's claymation, but it seemed... amateurish. There's one page where the dog's eyes are super creepy. Pass.
The art is cool, since it's claymation, but it seemed... amateurish. There's one page where the dog's eyes are super creepy. Pass.
Read
September 14, 2009Lively clay illustrations by Geronimo García, together with fast-moving, funny, and insightful dialogue by Benjamin Alire Sáenz make this picture book, the second in the Little Diego series, a rewarding family romp. The newest addition to the Dominguez family, canine Sofie, has trouble minding her manners until it is discovered she’ll do anything for a piece of tortilla! Great storytelling, sensitive art direction, and an earthy Southwestern palette make the most of García’s smart, surprising painted clay artworks. Children will love the tactile quality of these illustrations, and will readily relate to the challenges faced by Gabriela and Little Diego as they learn about sharing, training and loving their new puppy. Sure to be as much loved as its enormously popular predecessor, A Gift from Papa Diego.
November 30, 2009
This is a sweet story about a family who adopts a dog. The children often fight over her, but come together when the dog falls ill. The book is written in both Spanish and English, but we only read the English side. Our girls really enjoyed the story and were caught up in the suspense of whether or not little Sofie would get well. The illustrations are interesting, although I'm not a big fan of the clay figures.
December 4, 2009
A charming little bilingual book with full text in both English and Spanish, by a native New Mexico author. Great illustrations made with painted clay figures add a lot of visual texture to the story about a brother and sister who are competing for the attentions of the family's new puppy until the puppy gets sick. Then the two siblings come together to nurse their pet back to health. They know she's better when she starts stealing Mama's fresh tortillas.
April 3, 2015
Written in both English and Spanish this story will appeal to bi-lingual readers. Who knew a dog could love tortillas so much? Having a granddog who loves tortillas, and catches them in mid-air, made this story appealing. The siblings, a brother and sister, learn to share in not only the care, but also the worry about their new pet.
October 25, 2009
This is a fun little book, in both English and Spanish, that shows the importance of sharing, caring and responsibility. The claymation like illustrations are interesting.
Read
December 7, 2009Written in both English and Spanish. Interesting concept for a book to have the story told in both languages.
shelved-didn-t-finish
March 8, 2015Didn't finish. Creepy illustrations.
September 25, 2016
A quite lovely and sweet children's book by Saenz. I loved this one!
August 16, 2010
Nice story with clay illustrations.
April 27, 2017
Loved the clay illustrations with this book, and while I'm not bilingual, I certainly appreciated the book for that purpose. While some pages seemed to stretch a bit longer than probably necessary, this book is an entertaining, and different, read for pre-K students and Kindergarteners!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews