By Xavier Garza
- Age Range: 5 - 12 years
- Grade Level: Kindergarten - 6
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press; Bilingual edition
- Language: English, Spanish
- ISBN-10: 193369324X
- ISBN-13: 978-1933693248
“Even Santa Claus sends the jobs he is
unable or unwilling to do to Mexico...in this colorful storybook by local
author-illustrator Xavier Garza...The simple South Texas Christmas tale is
printed in both English and Spanish, allowing for several different bilingual
reading opportunities...Charro Claus is the perfect gift for the children of
your Minute Men relatives.” —San Antonio Current, Nov. 19, 2008
Let’s welcome Santa’s newest helper: his
cousin Pancho, a farmer living down in South Texas who is so smart he speaks
both Spanish and English. Back in the day, Pancho was a mariachi singer with a
whole lot of style and a fancy sombrero. But as the years passed, Pancho got,
well, a little older and a little wider all around. Then one night his primo
Santa Claus showed up. Santa needed some help along the US/Mexico border.
Pancho volunteered. And then, poof, Santa transformed Pancho into the
resplendent Charro Claus with his incredible Flying Burritos. And Charro Claus,
it turns out, even had his own surprise elf—his nephew Vincente!
All Christmas Eve, Vincente and Pancho
deliver toys to the boys and girls on the border. Neither rain, cloudy skies,
wire fences, or concrete walls keep them from covering every inch of their newly
assigned territory. And they don’t forget a single town or city. How could
they? The border is their home.
A native of the Rio Grande Valley, Xavier Garza is a prolific author,
artist, teacher, and storyteller whose work is a lively documentation of the
dreams, superstitions, and heroes in the bigger-than-life world of South Texas.
Garza has exhibited his art and performed his stories in venues throughout
Texas, Arizona, and Washington State. He lives with his wife and son in San
Antonio, Texas, and is the author of five books. His book Maximilian &
the Mystery of the Guardian Angel was a Pura Belpré Author Honor Book in
2012.
"Garza’s original text and bold,
full-page illustrations will surely pull readers into the excitement of this
new 'border' story. A wonderful acquisition." — Críticas
"The full-spread paintings are
bright and energetic … A cheerful purchase." — School Library Journal
"Charro Claus is the perfect gift
for the children of your Minute Men relatives." — San Antonio Current
"Bold, stylized cartoon-like
illustrations help this creative author/illustrator tell the story of Santa
Claus' Mexican cousin—telling it in both English and Spanish." —Children's Literature
"[This] bilingual retelling of the
Santa Claus myth with a South Texas twist, brought vividly to life by Garza's colorful,
expressive drawings." —San Antonio Express-News book blog
"This fascinating story reflects
small-town Texas life and the magic of the holiday season." —Tucson Citizen
"This charming story will be
embraced by children who do not see their lieves reflected in the traditional
snowy Santa tales. Recommended."—REFORMA Newsletter
