1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric. 2010. MEDIO POLLITO Ill. By Valeria Docampo. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. ISBN 978-0-7614-5705-3
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Medio Pollito is a spunky, little half-chick! Born with “one-leg, one eye, one wing, with half a comb and half a beak,” Medio Pollito's story begins. Near the barnyard, he discovers a road which leads all the way to Madrid, a big city where the king lives. He is discouraged from traveling this road by the other barnyard birds, but his own mother hen says, “Don’t mind them,” and encourages him to travel the road: “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” So off Medio Pollito goes with a hop and a step. Along the way, Valeria Docampo brings the story to life with colorful acrylic illustrations of his journey. Medio Pollito helps the water by plucking the weeds. Then, he brings life to the dying fire by adding more twigs. Finally, he frees Docampo’s swirling wind from the trees. Later, after he arrives in Madrid, these forces of nature return the favor and help save Medio Pollito from a terrible fate. There is a wonderful twist at the very end which will delight every reader.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kimmel's retelling of the Spanish folktale is a beautiful rendition of encouragement and problem solving. Young and old alike will love the tale of Medio Pollito, as he faces obstacles which are in turn funny, but also thought-provoking. Parents and teachers can discuss issues of diversity and how one person can make a difference. Docampo's illustrations are as bold as Medio Pollito himself. Vibrant swaths of color capture the movement and mood of Kimmel’s story. She is at her best capturing the wind as Medio rides the swirl down from the tree, with leaves fluttering about the breezy trail. In the truest of traditions, this story is meant to be read aloud, with the colors and text creating a lyrical story of survival and success against the odds. Indeed, Medio Pollito rises above the literary crop, perched to grab the attention of every reader!
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
KIRKUS REVIEW: “Definitely make room for this wholehearted book on the shelf.”
BOOKS 4 LEARNING: “Medio Pollito will inspire both those with physical (or other) limitations and those without them.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Eric Kimmel generously offers this tale, and many others, as free read alouds on his web site.
*Medio Pollito is a finalist for the 2012 Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature, part of the Oregon Book Awards.
*This is a great book to launch a study in diversity and how physical limitations don’t define a person’s character.
Kimmel, Eric. 2010. MEDIO POLLITO Ill. By Valeria Docampo. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. ISBN 978-0-7614-5705-3
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Medio Pollito is a spunky, little half-chick! Born with “one-leg, one eye, one wing, with half a comb and half a beak,” Medio Pollito's story begins. Near the barnyard, he discovers a road which leads all the way to Madrid, a big city where the king lives. He is discouraged from traveling this road by the other barnyard birds, but his own mother hen says, “Don’t mind them,” and encourages him to travel the road: “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” So off Medio Pollito goes with a hop and a step. Along the way, Valeria Docampo brings the story to life with colorful acrylic illustrations of his journey. Medio Pollito helps the water by plucking the weeds. Then, he brings life to the dying fire by adding more twigs. Finally, he frees Docampo’s swirling wind from the trees. Later, after he arrives in Madrid, these forces of nature return the favor and help save Medio Pollito from a terrible fate. There is a wonderful twist at the very end which will delight every reader.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kimmel's retelling of the Spanish folktale is a beautiful rendition of encouragement and problem solving. Young and old alike will love the tale of Medio Pollito, as he faces obstacles which are in turn funny, but also thought-provoking. Parents and teachers can discuss issues of diversity and how one person can make a difference. Docampo's illustrations are as bold as Medio Pollito himself. Vibrant swaths of color capture the movement and mood of Kimmel’s story. She is at her best capturing the wind as Medio rides the swirl down from the tree, with leaves fluttering about the breezy trail. In the truest of traditions, this story is meant to be read aloud, with the colors and text creating a lyrical story of survival and success against the odds. Indeed, Medio Pollito rises above the literary crop, perched to grab the attention of every reader!
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
KIRKUS REVIEW: “Definitely make room for this wholehearted book on the shelf.”
BOOKS 4 LEARNING: “Medio Pollito will inspire both those with physical (or other) limitations and those without them.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Eric Kimmel generously offers this tale, and many others, as free read alouds on his web site.
*Medio Pollito is a finalist for the 2012 Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature, part of the Oregon Book Awards.
*This is a great book to launch a study in diversity and how physical limitations don’t define a person’s character.
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