Bibliography Kimmel, Eric A. 1993. The Witch’s Face: A Mexican Tale. Ill. by Fabricio Vanden Broeck. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823410382 Plot Summary In this adaptation of the Mexican Folktale, as Don Aurelio travels by horse to Mexico City, night falls. He stops at a home and is greeted by three strange women. They offer him a meal, and the youngest and most beautiful of the women warns him, “All is not as it seems.” He eats his meal, after which he immediately falls asleep. He awakens, only to realize the entire night and another day has passed. The three women again offer him a meal, and this time the youngest warns him, “Drink nothing. Your life depends on it.” He pretends to sleep and discovers that the three women are really witches. He is so surprised he falls, hitting his head, only to wake and find himself locked in a cage. Don Aurelio realizes he is in love with the young and beautiful witch. She tells him how to escape and break the spell that will force her to become a witch, to which he complies. She escapes and is free, only to discover that Don Aurelio did not keep his promise, and she leaves him in tragedy. Critical Analysis The author introduces this story with a note about its origins. It is based on a story from the oral tradition of the Mazahua Indians of Central Mexico known as “La Esposa Bruja.” He lists other sources of the story, as well as people from those cultures who helped in the development of this adaptation. This, along with the Spanish intermixed in the text, as well as the illustrations of daily life in Central Mexico, create an aura of cultural authenticity. The characters in this adaptation reflect the archetypes of good and evil. Don Aurelio is an innocent man who stumbles into the clutches of evil witches. However, there is a slight twist in that one of the evil witches really does not desire to be evil. The themes of love and sacrifice are seen as she assists Don Aurelio in his escape, thereby securing her own escape. Another theme that can be recognized in this adaptation is that love is blind/love can see beyond a pretty face. These themes are complex and may be more difficult for younger students to recognize, but older students will enjoy finding examples of these themes in the text. The setting of this story is fairly simple, with very little detail in the background of the images. The main focus of the setting is on the characters, their emotions, and their clothing, which appears to be authentic from Central Mexico. The illustrator, Vanden Broeck, uses warm, muted colors that create an almost dream-like backdrop to the majority of the story. He also creates tension and suspense with the use of darker, more sinister shading in moments of conflict. Overall, the illustrations create a wonderful backdrop for the story that aids in the development of the characters and plot. The plot of this story is the right mix of complex and simple. Younger students will understand the themes and plot of good versus evil, while the older students will appreciate that this adaptation differs from many traditional stories in that it does not have a traditional happy ending. The story pace moves quickly and leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. However, some of the darker motifs could frighten younger children, making this book a better read for upper elementary and beyond. Overall, this book exhibits many of the qualities of good traditional literature. Its cultural authenticity also makes this a book that lends itself well to analysis and comparison among other traditional stories. Response I have heard a similar story from Italy before in a storytelling course. I was immediately drawn into the darker motifs that created suspense and tension, although those themes could be scary for younger children. I appreciated that the author explained the background of the story and that the illustrator included multiple details in the pictures that added to the cultural authenticity. The use of some Spanish added to the cultural authenticity, as well. This is a book that could easily be used in conjunction with other traditional tales to analyze story elements or compare and contrast across cultures. Overall, it is an interesting read. Reviews “To his ever-lengthening series of retellings of great world folktales Kimmel adds the dark, intensely dramatic story of Don Aurelio, who falls in love with the beautiful young witch Emilia. He delivers her from an enslavement to evil by replacing her lovely witch's mask with a rough, homely one. But his love is not strong enough to survive the loss of her beauty; as she sleeps, he restores her former face (instead of destroying it as he had sworn to do) and thus loses her forever. The illustrations are tense and foreboding; judicious use of black overpainting makes them dramatically dark despite the vivid colors. Emilia's true face is never seen, a frustration to young readers that nonetheless deepens the mystery. A spellbinding readaloud for older children.” -- Kirkus Review “Kimmel has chosen to retell one of the most resonant of the Mexican witch-tales. It is filled with fear and danger, horror and beauty, love and betrayal, useless penance, and redemption denied-strong stuff, and Vanden Broeck's illustrations don't take the curse off, though their beauty is alluring. Grainy shadows tipped with colorful fire give a shuddery immediacy to the desolation of the landscape. One can almost hear the warning creak of the single lantern over the door of the witches' house. A hair-raiser at any time of the year.” -- School Library Journal “Powerfully illustrated with dark, shadowy paintings, Kimmel's retelling (drawn from oral and written sources) increases in both drama and momentum as Aurelio and Emilia play their parts through to the tragic finale. This is potent storytelling for the junior-high and high-school set, but it may need some booktalking because of the young-looking format.” -- Booklist Connections
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AuthorMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own.
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