Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes

Cadejos are the mythical dog-like creatures that figure prominently in the folklore of El Salvador. They mysteriously appear at night and lovingly protect the villagers who live on the slopes of the volcanoes from danger. Don Tonio, the powerful landowner, is suspicious of the benevolent cadejos—he believes they bewitch his villagers and make them lazy. A regiment of lead soldiers is brought in from afar to hunt the cadejos and wipe them out — but the ancient volcanoes come up with a plan to save the cadejos and pave the way for peace once more. This is a lovingly told story of war and pacifism, distrust and mutual support that will make children and adults rejoice.

Manlio Argueta is one of El Salvador’s greatest living authors. A writer, critic, and novelist, he makes his home in San Jose, Costa Rica, and travels frequently throughout the Americas. He has received Latin America’s most prestigious literary award, the Casa de las Américas Prize, for Caperucita en la zona roja.

Elly Simmons is an internationally-exhibited painter. Elly's art has been praised as being an extraordinary blend of her political passion and artistic complexity. She lives with her family in Lagunitas, California. 
 

Themes: Folklore and Fables, Community, Environment/Nature

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"Simmons's vigorous art, recalling Mexican paintings of the 1930s, is the perfect complement to this powerfully symbolic, satisfying tale."—Kirkus

"This engagingly told dual-language story from El Salvador opens listeners to the folklore of Central America in an attractively illustrated, accessible form." —School Library Journal

"Folklore, magic, pacifism, land and labor issues combine to create a cutting-edge package that readers have come to expect from San Francisco-based Children's Book Press." —San Francisco Chronicle