Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata by George Lopez and Ryan Calejo, illustrated by Santy Gutierrez is the second book in the ChupaCarter series. Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata focuses around Carter, the chupacabra, and his unlikely friendship with Jorge.
The reader finds Jorge in the midst of a town mystery that is decades old and seems to have come to life claiming many of the towns businesses through fires. The fires come every six years, caused by what most in the town believe is a haunted piñata. The piñata is part of a curse that was put on the small town, decades ago, by a rich boy who could no longer stand the cruel treatment that he received from his classmates. They had humiliated him for the last time and Boca Falls will forever know the day that they spoiled his birthday party.
“Lopez, Calejo and Gutierrez weaved together a story full of small town folklores, fires, suspects, a talking chupacabra, and a haunted piñata with colorful illustrations and witty banter to keep the reader and the listener engaged. ”
As the story moves forward, Jorge is pleasantly surprised that Carter has returned, from what was supposed to be a more permanent vacation, just in time to help him solve the mystery of the fires that threaten to doom Boca Falls. Liza and Ernie, friends of Jorge, retell the story of the Miguel Valdez Blackbriar, the rich boy who started the curse, to catch Jorge up to speed on just why Boca Falls is experiencing visits from a haunted piñata.
Along the way, we meet many peculiar characters that become main suspects as the mystery behind the fires start to unfold. The story will keep you guessing and rooting for Jorge, Liza, Ernie and ChupaCarter.
Though Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata can be read as a stand alone story, if you are interested on more context, I do recommend getting your hands on the first book of the ChupaCarter series, where you are introduced to Carter and how he meets Jorge.
There’s a strong comedic tone throughout the story and not only are the authors able to reach the young reader but parents/guardians as well. Lopez, Calejo and Gutierrez weaved together a story full of small town folklores, fires, suspects, a talking chupacabra, and a haunted piñata with colorful illustrations and witty banter to keep the reader and the listener engaged.
George Lopez's multifaceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night programs. He currently stars in and executive produces the NBC sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez, and he can also be seen in his Netflix original comedy special, We'll Do It for Half. His autobiography Why You Crying? was a New York Times bestseller. He has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by TIME magazine and one of the Top Ten Favorite Television Personalities by Harris Poll. ChupaCarter is his first series for children. Visit him online at GeorgeLopez.com.
Ryan Calejo is an award-winning author born and raised in South Florida. His critically acclaimed Charlie Hernández series has been featured on half a dozen state reading lists and is a two-time gold medal winner of the Florida Book Awards. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RyanCalejo.
Santy Gutiérrez grew up in Vigo and now lives in Corunna (La Coruña), both seaside cities in Spain. In his career, he has won acclaim as the Best Spanish Young Editorial Cartoonist and Best Galician Caricaturist, and he founded BAOBAB Studio Artists' Collective. His wife and son are his personal inspirations. Follow him on Instagram @SantyGutierrez_Art.
Angela “Angie” Ybarra is a senior student enrolled in the Nontraditional Degree Program (NDP) at Northeastern Illinois University. She hopes to work as a grant writer to assist local nonprofit organizations that address the issues of gentrification within Chicago's NorthWest side and help them find funding for their work. Angie loves to give her audience the opportunity to formulate their own views by presenting the facts or points of interest with the hope to move her audience into action.
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