Written by Silvia Lopez and Illustrated by Pablo Pino
Many of us remember reading the Japanese folktale, Tikki Tikki Tembo when we were younger. Pacho Nacho is a slide-splitting story about what’s in a name, that mirrors this classic tale.
Cuban-born author, Silvia Lopez brings humor to this story of family, community, and the importance of a name. Pacho Nacho (short for Pacho-Nacho-Niko-Tiko-Melo-Felo-Kiko-Riko) was named to honor the preferences of his entire family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins included. The community celebrates his name as he grows, until one day, Pacho Nacho’s little brother, Juan finds him clinging to a branch, on the verge of falling into a rushing river. As Juan runs back with urgency to get help, he is repeatedly hindered by his brother’s tongue-twister of a name. Thankfully, his family is able to make it to Pacho Nacho’s aide in time!
Pino’s illustrations parallel the light and humorous style of Lopez’ writing. Pacho Nacho begs to be read aloud as it is ripe for audience participation. Its patterned and predictable structure is ideal for shared reading in school or at home. When modeling comprehension skills, Pacho Nacho can be used to engage students in making predictions, identifying problems,solutions, turning points, and even identifying themes.
Additionally, Pacho Nacho pays homage to Latinx culture and language. Spanish words are woven throughout this tale, with a glossary included at the end. The story is set in a village in Mexico and shares the naming tradition of assigning multiple first names.
Elementary school students across the grades will enjoy this book. In fact, Pacho Nacho was recently voted our school’s 2021 Picture Book March Madness winner! Add Pacho Nacho to your fiction read aloud text set or to your child’s bedroom bookshelf. It does not disappoint!
