Pacho Nacho

A story about a Mexican boy whose long name almost results in a tragic accident. Pacho-Nacho-Nico-Tico-Melo-Felo-Kiko-Rico is given his name when his parents ask their extended family for ideas for the perfect moniker for their firstborn. From then on, everyone in the village is encouraged to call the boy by his extended beautiful, melodic name. When Mama and Papa have a second son, he is simply named Juan. One day, when the boys are older, they decide to go fishing at the nearby river. Pacho-Nacho finds himself hanging from a broken branch over the river. As Juan runs to find help, he is forced to use his brother's beautiful long name, thus wasting precious time. Finally, Papa and the carpenter row out to the river and help the lad to safety. After that, wisely enough, long extended names are never used again. The text is sprinkled with Spanish words throughout and Pino's colorful cartoon artwork sets the scene in a rural, folkloric Mexican landscape. A Spanish word list and an author's note discussing stories with similar plots are appended. VERDICT Youngsters will get a kick out of saying the main character's name while enjoying this entertaining story, perfect to share at storytimes and during Hispanic Heritage Month.—Martha Rico, Yselta ISD, TX