The Three Cabritos

 

Bibliography:

Kimmel, Eric. 2012. THE THREE CABRITOS. Ill. by Stephen Gilpin. Two Lions. ISBN: 9780761463092

Plot Summary:

Kimmel tells a story about three little goats and how their mother is worried about the Chupacabra, the goat sucker who lives under the bridge. This story is a Mexican twist to the classic The Billy Goats Gruff.  A funny twist to a classic.

Critical Analysis:
 I really liked the characters and setting of this story because it gives the original text a funny spin. I am from the South not far from Mexico so it is relatable. I love the twist of the troll being a chupacabra. The Three Cabritos are still the three little goats but with this change in words as well as others throughout the text you also get a taste of the Spanish culture. I found that the storyline was similar when they each tried to say the next brother would be bigger, but they had to play music that he would like to get across. In the end, the biggest and last brother tricks the chupacabra by playing his accordion one last time, but he doesn’t realize that this accordion is magic. While he plays it makes those listening dance until he stops. The brothers all played the Chupacabra well.

Gilpin over all did an amazing job with the illustrations. I loved how the mother goat is obviously fussing at her children by having her hand on her hip and the son's faces are saying so much. The details here are amazing and continue throughout the story with background scenery, and images really portraying the goats playing their instruments to their facial expression when they are running away. The only criticism I have is when I think of the chupacabra I don’t think of them being blue. To me, that was a little strange, and would like to know why he decided to have him be blue.  I asked my students their thoughts as well and they agreed that they wouldn’t think a chupacabra would be blue. We thought it would be more like a leathery, brown-colored creature.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

Kimmel sets his reworking of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" just north of the Rio Grande, sending caprine musicians Reynaldo, Orlando, and August"n tripping across the border to a fiesta in Mexico. First, of course, they must first get by the fearsome Chupacabra, or "goat sucker," guarding the bridge—who demands a tune in exchange for their lives. Gilpin stands the goats on hind legs, gives them overalls, band instruments, and big horsey grins, and pits them against a spiny blue monster that resembles a cross between Yoda and a whale-sized flea. Ultimately, big August"n tootles away on his accordion until the dancing Chupacabra collapses and deflates in exhaustion. Any political implications in this fresh, original take on the familiar tale are (surely) inadvertent and would go over the heads of younger readers anyway. (end note) (Picture book /folktale. 5-7) (Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2007)

Connections:

I would use this book with a variety of adaptations of “The Three Billy Goat Gruff” and have my students in groups read one of the books. They could come together and create a reader's theater of the book, and all the students could present their book. As a class we could discuss similarities and differences and why we think the authors had these changes in the story.

Other adaptations are:

-          Listen, My Bridge is so Cool! The Story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff as Told by the Troll. By Cristian Bernardini

-          The Three Billy Goats Fluff by Rachael Mortimer

-          Trip Trap Trouble by Katie Pye

-          The Three Bully Goats by Leslie Kimmelman

-          The Three Armadillies Tuff by Jack Hopkins