THE DWARF WIZARD OF UXMAL

by Susan Hand--Adapt. Shetterly ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1990

A husband and wife team presents a rarely told folk tale set in Mayan Yucatan. Tol, a tiny boy hatched from an egg and raised by a poor old woman, announces to the governor of Uxmal that he is a dwarf wizard and then is challenged to a series of tests. After he balances a sow on his finger, squeezes a block of stone into a pebble, persuades the rain god to end a drought, and builds a temple in a day, the governor concedes that he is defeated; as the old woman has predicted, Tel takes his place. Presented in five chapters, this picture-book version of the legend is told in gracefully precise language. In their use of humor, informal line, and splashy color, the full-page watercolor illustrations are somewhat reminiscent of Galdone. Welcome as an entertaining story, as well as an addition to the sparse body of Hispanic folklore for children.

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1990

Categories: CHILDREN'S