Libros en Espanol Books

I came across this gem while I was teaching English in Caracas. I was very frustrated when I finally decided to give up struggling with advanced Spanish and drop down from serious material to children's books. I was immediately drawn to this book and its fantastic illustrations. Even though it is a children's book it involves a serious subject.

It takes place during Argentina's Guerra Sucia when the military came to power by coup d'etat and secretly began eliminating its perceived rivals. A young boy living in Buenos Aires learns that his family is on the hit list. They are forced to flee Bs. As. and seek shelter with relatives in Paris. The boy must leave behind his beloved cat. In Paris he is lonely and withdrawn. His father takes him to the shelter to find a new cat. He is drawn to the aloof cat with a superior attitude (read Parisian). The cat becomes a mentor and best friend to the boy and together they have all kinds of adventures. This book reminded me of one of my mother's favorite books, The Red Balloon, except I liked it better. This book was pure pleasure reading and it's one the few I remember from my time in Caracas.

A good book for intermediate to advanced students of Spanish. It is believed to be the first example of Chicano literature. This book can be revealing as a lesson in the struggle new immigrants face in the US. This was written long ago but in many ways, little had changed.