Not a Monster

by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez (Author) Laura González (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

With Spanish vocabulary and a clever color concept, this poetic picture book shares the life cycle of beloved amphibian--the axolotl--in its natural habitat.

An axolotl may look like one, but it is certainly Not a Monster. This curious creature, made popular by Minecraft, is actually a salamander that will never lose its gills or fins. Not a Monster explores the traits of the axolotl, the Aztec origin myth about the species, and the way pollution is affecting its natural habitat: the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City.

Fun and engaging, this playful and informative read-aloud introduces curious readers on one cool character who is NOT a monster!

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Hardcover
$17.99

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Review quotes

Deep in a murky, azul-tinged body of water, the axolotl swims under the cover of the moon.

Along a canal near an unspecified city "that was once a great empire," an egg grows and transforms; the creature inside gains fins, gills, and a bit more before it hatches into a tadpole. Four long limbs soon sprout, and the creature's color deepens into an inky black. It scours for food beneath "los lirios rosados" (pink water lilies), resting under a floating garden. The creature is "Not a Monster"—it's an axolotl. Martínez devotes the first half of the book to chronicling the axolotl's life journey—from birth to mating—in eclectic, whimsical strokes, egged on by González's sublime, earthy artwork. It's a tenderhearted ode to the water-based salamander. From there, the axolotl's tale pivots to spotlight the creature's connection to Xolotl, the Aztec god of monstrous things, said to have leapt into a lake and turned into an axolotl. "Guided by the stories their abuelos have told them," two friends "row their chalupa morada" into the canals, spearheading cleanup efforts to remove plastic and bottles from the water. The author brilliantly positions the restoration of the endangered axolotl's natural habitats as a kind of modern rebirth infused with hope. Spanish words pop up throughout this sly call to action, and color words are bolded; definitions are provided in a glossary.

Rejoice and rally for the axolotl! (author's note)

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Martínez introduces an amphibian exclusively found in Mexico in this inviting nonfiction picturebook, and readers get to watch it grow from a single cell to an axolotl. This unusual salamanderis not a monster, though it's described as an "Aztec god of monstrous things" that jumped in thewater in Aztec mythology. In her artwork, González honors that mythology with Aztec motifs andpictograms tucked into the illustrations, while comprehensively depicting the axolotl's growingphases. Once the axolotl is fully grown, the story introduces two children searching for themythological creature in the canals. Instead, they find pollution, which threatens the axolotl'shabitat, but they help clean the water, eventually revealing a collection of axolotls eggs beginningto hatch. Martínez sprinkles plenty of Spanish words throughout the story, which are defined in aglossary; color terms also appear in their matching hue. The term "monster" is used gently, without instilling fear. With beautiful watercolor illustrations, this story compellingly integrates folktales and biology, as well as important facts about environmental awareness.

—Booklist
Claudia Guadalupe Martínez

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez has called Mexico and the US home. Her core childhood memories are set in El Paso, Texas. This dynamic of growing up between borders inspires her writing. She is the recipient of two Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Awards, a Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, an Américas Award Commendation, a Junior Library Guild Award, and multiple starred reviews. She now lives with her family in Illinois. You can find her at claudiaguadalupemartinez.com.

Magdalena Mora is an illustrator and graphic designer with a special interest in children's books and visual storytelling. She illustrated Equality's Call and I Wish You Knew. When not drawing, she spends her free time reading, people-gawking, and trying to find the best tacos in the Twin Cities--mostly the latter. She lives in Minneapolis. You can see more of her work at magdalenamora.com.

Luis Humberto Crosthwaite was born in Tijuana, Mexico. A journalist and jefe at a small press called Yoremito, he has also worked on a number of highly acclaimed translations such as Olor a perfume de viejita and Still Dreaming/Seguimos Soñando. Whoever looks into his heart would see the Pacific Ocean--ah, those beautiful sunsets! He lives with his family in the same town he was born.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781623543037
Lexile Measure
620
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Charlesbridge Publishing
Publication date
May 09, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
NAT012000 - Nature | Animals | Fish
Library of Congress categories
Axolotls
Rare amphibians

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