ChupaCarter

ChupaCarter was such a cute book!

I have never read a story where the Chupacabra was a full fledge character – this was great way to introduce the folklore to children in a not-so-scary way. I’ve not read it with my children yet, as I wanted to read it myself first, but I cannot wait to do so. I feel it would be a fun story for children of any age, including adults.

ChupaCarter would be a fun way to introduce your children to the Latino culture/folklore. There is a mix of Spanish and English words that readers can use context clues to understand the meanings (so the words don’t pose a problem or distract from the story), in addition to the Chupacabra myth and Latino foods.

I could not but help read this in the voice of George Lopez. The dialogue is very him and has buckets of his signature humor.

ChupaCarter isn’t all humor though. Lopez and Calejo touch on some rather poignant topics. Animal rights, bullying, single parenting, and most definitely racism.. just to name a few. The way these things are written into the story make it easy for children to connect with, regardless of their situation. There were points in the story where I’d turn to my husband as just say “wow, that was kind of sad,” I’m glad the book wasn’t all humor and that children have the opportunity to learn something profound when they pick up this fantastic read.

The illustrations are really fun! I enjoyed how they tied into the story and how much they actually added to the story. I’ve also found that chapter books with illustrations throughout actually hold my 9-year old’s attention better – bonus!!

While the Chupacabra aspects of the story aren’t scary, these other mythical creatures called dips seemed to be very frightening. They are described as vampire dogs that love to prey on Chupacabras and that can only be defeated by an act of kindness, so naturally I looked them up. Pretty scary stuff. Honestly though, the principal was most definitely the scariest thing in the story. He was this large, hulk sized man who was/is a trophy hunter. Not only that, but he essentially takes what he wants, regardless of the consequences.

The ending, while not necessarily leaving you on a cliff, it does dangle a little bit of ‘what next’ bait. Without spoilers.. I’m curious to see if the dips catch up to Carter, if Jorge reunites with his mother, and what about the principal.. he just gets away with that stuff?


You can read my original review here: bookswithachance.com

What worked:
I can’t say I’ve seen many, if any, books where the mythical Chupacabra is an actual character. Carter is lurking near the home of Jorge’s grandparents, out in the middle of nowhere, and his reason for being there is revealed later in the plot. However, Carter’s not what readers might expect. He has a need to drink blood but he’s not a blood-thirsty monster. Despite being seven feet tall, the creature wears a tank top, shorts, and Converse high-top tennis shoes. He’s mischievous with a sense of humor and Jorge finds it easy to become friends. This friendship between two unlikely characters is a highlight of the book.
Jorge struggles with emotional issues and experiences fits of anger. He admits that his sassy mouth often gets him into trouble and it contributes to being kicked out of school. His mother dumps him with his grandparents on a barren farm in New Mexico, so Jorge feels abandoned. His abuela is not a sweet, understanding, supportive granny so his new home life presents additional stress. School is no better as Jorge’s temper pits him against a gang of older bullies and lands him in front of an intimidating principal. The man has traveled the world hunting big game and his office walls are covered with mounted heads of animals he’s killed. The principal says he’ll be lurking and hunting Jorge for any little future infractions so he finds little comfort at school. It’s not a far stretch to predict the principal will eventually pick up Carter's trail. The author offers the principal as an effective antagonist but other creatures are introduced later.
The author includes Spanish vocabulary and it’s integrated well throughout the plot. This is mostly done using words and phrases although there are some short sentences. Readers can use context from events to understand the meanings so the words don’t pose a problem or distract from the story. Monstruo, amigo, este bien, hombre, and other Spanish terms are either defined or can be figured out. The vocabulary adds authenticity to the story’s culture without fully immersing the language in a way that might overwhelm young readers.
What didn’t work as well:
The resolution leaves questions about what happens to the evil perro and ChupaCarter. There’s a strong inference regarding what happens to ChupaCarter but it would be nice to have something more definitive tying Jorge and ChupaCarter together. There are implications a sequel might be on the way but I don’t know if that’s actually in the plans.
The Final Verdict:
Young readers will enjoy ChupaCarter’s friendly, mischievous personality and his ferocity when defending his good friend Jorge. The highly entertaining story is a mixture of adventure, drama, and humor and it touches on Jorge’s conflicted feelings about home. I recommend you give it a shot, especially if you like monsters and fun.