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Salvador and the Wishing Sombrero

by Mary T. Jastron

21 pages; Saddle stitched; illustrated children's book; catalogue #06-0566; ISBN 1-4120-8810-0; US$12.98, C$14.93, EUR10.66, £7.46

A fierce storm washes houses into the sea. Salvador's people are forced to live in tents. Suddenly, Salvador finds a wish-giving sombrero that grants him three wishes, and rebuilds the town.

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About the Book

About the Author

Excerpts

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About the Book

Salvador is a little Mexican boy with a big heart and generous spirit. When the houses in his coastal town are swept into the sea in a fierce storm, people have to live in tents. They are sad and Salvador's mother is praying for a new house. By stroke of good luck, Salvador encounters the Wishing Sombrero. Together, they rescue the town.

Salvador's burro has run away, frightened by the storm. Salvador searches high and low for his pet. He climbs the hill overlooking his town and calls. Finally he spots his burro standing near a cave. Salvador has never seen this cave before. Inside the cave he finds an old trunk. On examining its contents, he pulls out a strange looking sombrero with bright red tassels. When he puts the sombrero on his head, it starts to talk and offers to grant Salvador a wish in gratitude for being freed. Salvador remembers how his people are sleeping in tents and his mother's prayers. He pleads for a new house for his family.

"Pull my red tassel!" says Wishing Sombrero, and Salvador gives it a yank. Sombrero swishes and zooms all over the sky. Below a brand new house is being built for Salvador's family.

All his friends visit and examine the new house and marvel at it and express that they would also indeed want a house like that one.

Salvador appeals to the Wishing Sombrero once again. "Please build houses for my friends," he asks. And because his request is not selfish, all he wants is to see his people happy, Sombrero agrees, and builds a casa for each family in the town.

There is a huge celebration and the people appoint Salvador mayor of the new town which they name "Salvadorro" in his honor.

Salvador is happy. He climbs the hill to thank Wishing Sombrero one more time, but Sombrero is gone, the trunk is nowhere in sight and there is a tiny red tassel. Salvador tucks it into his pocket with a smile. He has a feeling that he will meet Wishing Sombrero again someday soon.

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About the Author

Mary T. Jastron is a grandmother, a retired educator, and reading instructor. In the inner city school where she taught, many of the children were new immigrants with limited English. She found that it was difficult for them to relate to the stories in most of the books that were available. The children had a completely different frame of reference about their world. Mary discovered that when she entered their world, she could tap into the most dynamic resource for motivating a child to read.

"It's important to bridge that cultural gap early," says Mary. "Books need to be relative to the lives and the personal struggles of immigrant families if children are to succeed."

Sincerely,

Mary T. Jastron

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Excerpts

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Catalogue Information

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