This is a wonderful Mexican folktale. In this version the rabbit tricks the coyote many times. He then climbs a ladder to the moon. That is why coyotes howl at the moon. Instead of referring to the man in the moon, they refer to the rabbit in the moon. ( )

A classic retelling of the Brer Rabbit tales inspired by the Mexican culture and laced with spanish versus throughout the story. ( )

Poor Coyote! What’s he doing, hanging upside down in the farmer’s house, next to a pot of boiling water? How’d he wind up underneath the jicara tree, getting bonked by rock-hard fruit? Who tricked him into whacking a wasps’ nest with a stick? And why is he always howling at the moon? Because of Rabbit, that’s why! This is a story from the folklore of Oaxaca, Mexico -- a story with humor, trickery and hijinks.

The story is multicultural book, and throughout the story there are Spanish words. A rabbit and a coyote live in Mexico and the rabbit eats chili peppers but gets caught by the farmer who grew the chillis. The farmer attempts to eat the rabbit, and tricks the coyote into taking his place. Throughout the story the coyote is tricked because the coyote follows the rabbit to try to eat him. The rabbit is very smart and tricks the wolf many times throughout the book. The wolf falls for all of the tricks until the rabbit hops to the moon, safe from the wolf. This is why the wolf howls at the moon. This book includes a lot of description throughout the story. This story is very interesting not only for children but adults too. ( )

In my opinion, “The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote” is an intriguing story for children to read. It is a multicultural book, and it incorporates some Spanish phrases throughout the book. The plot is suspenseful and easy to follow. The story is about a rabbit and a coyote who live in Mexico. The rabbit eats chili peppers from a farm and gets caught by the farmer. The farmer tries to eat the rabbit, and the rabbit tricks the coyote into taking his place. The coyote follows after the rabbit to try to eat him. The rabbit is too clever and tricks the coyote many times to get away from him. The rabbit eventually gets a ladder and climbs to the moon where the coyote cannot reach him. The book explains that that is why coyotes howl at the moon to this day. The illustrations showcase colorful pictures made out of crayons, markers, and pastels. The rabbit is colored purple, and the coyote is colored blue. The language throughout the book is very descriptive. For example, “One full-moon night, Rabbit found a field of chilies. He was so pleased to see them, all glossy and green, that he jumped right in and ate the biggest ones.” The language in the story is predominantly English; however, there is a good amount of Spanish text incorporated in the book. The Spanish phrases are translated to English in the glossary. For example, “Me siento un poco raro” (Translation: I feel a bit strange). The big idea of the story is to teach children that they can get out of trouble by being clever. ( )