Amigo

by Byrd Baylor, Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Francisco is a lonely boy. Amigo is a prairie dog. They both live in the desert, and both want someone to play with. Francisco thinks that he's "taming" Amigo, his pet -- but Amigo knows better.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Friendship, Animals, Fiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Byrd Baylor has always lived in the Southwest, mainly in Southern Arizona near the Mexican border. She is at home with the southwestern desert cliffs and mesas, rocks and open skies. She is comforted by desert storms. The Tohono O’odham people, previously known as the Papagos, are her neighbors and close friends. She has focused many of her writings on the region’s landscape, peoples, and values. Through her books of rhythmic prose poetry, written primarily for children, she celebrates the beauty of nature and her own feelings of rapport with it.
Byrd has written many books for children.

Her books have been honored with many prestigious children’s book awards, including the Caldecott Award and the Texas Bluebonnet Award. All of her books are full of the places and the peoples that she knows. She thinks of these books as her own kind of private love songs to the place she calls home.

Reviews

[Ms. B]

I finally read this gem. It is adorable. It's the classic "I want a pet dog" story. Instead of a dog, how about a prairie dog for a pet? When Franciso parents say no to dog, together; he and his parents decide that a prairie dog might be the solution. Will it work, will a prairie dog be a good pet for a boy?
Fans of David LaRochelle's The Best Pet of All, those who like novels in verse and anyone who likes reading 'forgotten' favorites will want to give this one a try.

[Nabila Tabassum Chowdhury]

ফ্রান্সসিকোর একটা বন্ধু দরকার, পোষ্য দরকার, একটা বড়সড় কুকুর, হাউন্ডস। কিন্তু ওর বাবা-মার জন্য যে ওদের দুইভাইয়ের অন্ন জোগাড়-ই মুশকিল, কোত্থেকে কুকুর আসবে বা তাকে কী-ই বা খাওয়ানো হবে। মা সমাধান দেন একটা প্র্যাইরি ডগ খুঁজে নিতে, যা নিজেই নিজের খাবার জোগাড় করে নিবে। তাই ফ্রান্সসিসকো যায় প্র্যাইরি ডগ টাউনে নিজের পোষ্য খুঁজে নিতে। আমিগো-ও প্রথম দেখায় ফ্রান্সিসকোকে পছন্দ করে ফেলে। এই সুন্দর আওয়াজ এর মালিক ছেলেটাকে পোষ্য হিসেবে দরকার আমিগোর। শুরু হয় দুজন দুজনকে পোষ মানানোর, পোষ মানার আয়োজন...

বইয়ের নাম আমিগো। বন্ধু। বইতে বন্ধুত্বের উষ্ণতা আছে। আর আছে অনেক সুন্দর ইলাস্ট্রেশন। কখনো মনে হয় ফ্রান্সিসকো এবং আমিগোর মত আমিও মরুভূমির মাঝে ছোট্ট, তুচ্ছ একটা জিনিস।

লেখিকার কথা একটু বলি। আমি বার্ড বেইলারের দুটো বই পড়েছি মাত্র। এটি এবং The Other Way to Listen। কিন্তু তাকে আমার ভাল লেগে গেছে। বইদুটোর চেয়েও ভাল। মনে হয় তার মাঝে অদ্ভুদ এক প্রশান্তি আছে। সুনসান নীরবতার মত প্রশান্তি। তবে দমবন্ধ নীরবতা নয়, যে নীরবতায় বুকভরে নিঃশ্বাস নেয়া যায়। তার সাথে দেখা করতে ইচ্ছা করে। মনে নয় হাত মেলাবার ক্ষণে তার ভেতরকার প্রশান্তি আমার মাঝে চলে আসবে। ইনার পিস। যে প্রশান্তি তিনি তার লেখাগুলোর মাঝ দিয়ে পাঠককে দেবার চেষ্টা করেন এবং সফলও হন তবে মনেহয় কিছুটা বাকি রয়ে গেল। শতভাগ পেলাম না।

[Friend of Pixie]

I can't believe there are so few reviews of this marvelous book! I bought it on a trip to Tucson when L was 3. I wanted a book that was about life in the desert and this was close. He wasn't quite ready for it then, but by the time he was 4, we were reading it regularly. It's the story of a poor Mexican family living in a mining village. Their son wants a dog, but his parents can't afford it, so his mother suggests a prairie dog. The book changes perspective back and forth between the boy and the prairie dog, each of whom believes he is "taming" the other. What makes this book fabulous is the sing-song, almost-rhyming poetry of it. It took me a couple of times to get the hang of reading it aloud, but once I did, I loved it! Also, the illustrations by the incomparable Garth Williams are both tender and saucy. If you want to encourage a love for language, nature, patience, and the art of giving love, then run right out and get this book. I know others say it's beyond first graders, but I think if you read it right, they will be mesmerized.

[Edward Sojuwa]

Another kid's book of incredible beauty I've waited four decades to reread!!! It was worth the wait!
From celebrated Native American authoress Byrd Baylor, and Garth Williams, one of the best book illustrators of all time, comes this classic story of friendship which should not be, and yet is, in spite of the odds. Francisco is a young Mexican boy who yearns for a dog of his own, one he will call Amigo, Spanish for "friend". But his papa has no money to get one....but a PRAIRIE dog might be a good alternative... except his mama worries that a wild prairie dog might be dangerous. Taming a prairie dog is not impossible, just difficult. So Fran heads to the Arizona desert area known to locals as Prairie Dog Town to locate the one little critter that just might be the chosen one to be his Amigo. Sure enough, a little critter does arrive, with a similar idea in his teeny little prairie dog mind: he wants a human boy for a best friend, and he himself has prairie dog parents dead set against such a friendship. Mom and dad can only warn out of frightened little hearts, but info as to why they are unable to give, only that "it's always been thus." That's like saying young teens need not hobnob with gays or feminists because "the Bible says so", blah blah blah. Deceitful and inexcusable, but some people still cling to this stupid outdated philosophy. Which is why Byrd Baylor makes my heart glad when little Amigo defies his parents, and Fran defies mom and dad, so that the two meet up in the desert, and a sweet friendship is forged for life. One of my absolute favorite stories ever. I'm glad I remembered this story and will pass it on to whoever wants to read it also, so that this story need not be lost forever, like I almost lost it. And now Amigo is back in my heart, so I can put him in yours. All you gotta do is ask, and be ready to receive.
Four stars
Viva mi Amigo!!!!

[Fritz Van Buskirk]

Garth Williams wonderfully illustrates the tale of a boy who sets out to tame a prairie dog for a pet, and a prairie dog who insists he wants a boy. The skeptical parents are kind and funny, suggesting more practical pets. The story is in loose verse that is a joy to read aloud and imitates energy of the two young things, the quiet patience and kindness with which they lure each other, the beauty of the place. A lovely lovely tale to share with little ones you love. One of half a dozen books i kept forever.

[Rena Sherwood]

Um, yeah ....

I understand that this is an allegory about being happy by lowering your expectations and appreciating what's around you, but this was painfully twee.

This was a book that should've been in prose and not poetry, since some of the rhymes were awkward and forced. The illustrator was decent, but didn't seem to know how large prairie dogs get.

I know of countless real incidents of wild animals being tamed but left to live in the wild ... and then these tamed animals approach any human, and soon get killed. That sucks the cuteness right out of the book.

[Anne Exler]

Recently acquired for my Garth Williams collection. I wanted this one because my favorite cat ever was named Amigo. Here Amigo is a prairie dog who befriends a boy. The text struggled to find a rhythm but the illustrations were delightful as always, even in the brownish palette often found in older books.

[Sara Cross]

Such a sweet narrative poem about a poor boy who wants a dog but his father cannot afford to feed a dog. The boy decides to tame a prairie dog as his companion, and at the same time, a lonely prairie dog decides to tame the boy to be his friend.

Beautiful pictures illustrated by Garth Williams (who also illustrated Little House and E.B White books) of Mexican vistas.

[Allen Herring]

Cute story. I'll give to my nephew for Christmas.

[Rowan Jaffe]

From Rosie

[Ilana]

seriously the best

[Jim]

beautiful book about friendship

[Maughn Gregory]

I can hardly tell you how deeply this book touched me. Baylor is one of the clearest voices of desert spirituality.

[Becky]

First sentence: His mother said, "Come Francisco, my son. Tell me why your eyes are sad, my little one."

Premise/plot: Amigo is written in verse. It is historical fiction--about a boy longing for a dog. His family can't afford an actual dog, but, his parents encourage him to tame something wild, something that can take care of itself, something like a prairie dog. So Francisco sets out to tame a prairie dog, and, he knows just what he'll call it: Amigo. That's half the story. Amigo is a prairie dog that is curious and longs for adventures. He's drawn to humans, and he longs to tame a boy. Amigo picks out just the boy to tame, and, surprise, surprise, it's Francisco. Readers in on both sides of the stories can predict where this one is heading. It's cute.

My thoughts: I'll be honest: I bought it for the art. The illustrations are by Garth Williams. I thought if the text was nice, it would be an extra bonus. But really, I was just happy to see more of Garth Williams' work. I did enjoy the text. Do I think it's the most wonderful, amazing story ever? Probably not. I would have enjoyed more prose and less verse. But it's not awful.

[Dominick]

Meh. I bought this for the Garth williams art, and it is of course nice art, but it doesn't have his usually distinctive verve. As for the story, well, the basic idea is interesting enough. Fansisco, a poor boy living in the desert with his family, wants a dog, but the family can't afford one, so he decides to try to tame a prairie dog, instead. Meanwhile, a young prairie dog decides he wants a human pet, so decides to tame the boy. Each thinks he's tamed the other, which is kind of cute idea, but it's not executed with any particualr elegance. In fact, it's written in far from elegant verse--doggerel, really--which at times becomes almost laughable in its attempts at rhyme and meter. Mediocre.

[Mary]

This book is longer and requires more listening with understanding than the usual stories I read to Kindergarden and First Graders; I would guess 3rd graders would enjoy reading it for themselves, if they like pets. It is a Byrd Baylor book about a poor mining family who live by themselves at the edge of the desert and mountains. They are too poor for son Francisco to have a dog, so his mother suggests he tame a wild prairie dog. In the ensuing process Francisco and Amigo gradually learn about each other and how to approach and be friends. Written in rhyme and illustrated with artwork by Garth Williams, it is a book I love reading myself.

[Donna Roy]

This book is about a family that can't afford to buy their son, Francisco a dog, so the mom suggests that he tames a praire dog. Francisco doesn't realize that Amigo, the praire dog is already tame. I like have the story is in a poetry form and the story is too long. You would not be able to keep the attention of Pre-k children.

Learning Experience: The children can be engaged in the story naming what kind of dog or pet they would like to have and the children are to name their pet. Also, the children are to decide if their pet need to be tamed/trained.

[Judy]

3.3

Is this too much verse for a child? (It does flow smoothly.) I wish I could read it with a thoughtful child and watch his/her response. I suspect that kids like the idea of 'taming' a wild creature, but is that hope I want to foster?

I like the idea of paying attention to the wild lives around us, and I like the idea that the wild creatures are watching us.

The setting seems more like a prairie than a desert.

I just did a google search on Byrd Baylor. She passed away 2 months ago. Another author I admire, gone. Amigo was her first book.

2025: 3

[Jocelyn Montalvo Cullum]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14138362

[Maria]

I used to sneak this book down from the top shelf of the closet where my sister kept it safely hidden with her other nostalgia (ie merlin, zylaphone (sp), books, etc). I used to read it right after I would read The Giving Tree.

[Cws]

JEAR3-Bay

[Eloise]

Sweet story, but too long and wordy.

[Etta Mcquade]

I particularily loved Garth Williams' illustrations. The story, written in poetry form, is a little long, but the illustrations make up for it.

[Rick Bavera]

Great kids' book about the friendship between a prairie dog and a boy.

They each want a friend, and find each other to "tame" and develop a friend relationship.

Heartwarming story.

[Shaundell]

A sweet little poetry book about a boy that wants a dog and a prairie dog that wants a boy. The two meet and are made for each other.

[KarenMLISt]

Lovely prose. Unique book and very sweet!

[Kristi]

A Mexican boy wanted a pet, but his family was too poor to afford one. His family told the boy to go tame a wild animal. Therefore, the boy went to tame and became friends with a small prairie dog.
I would use this book when teaching about becoming friends or to be kind with those who need one the most.

[Michael]

Fun story with a good message about friendship.