En route to Mexico City, Don Aurelio Martinez seeks shelter at the house of three witches in this picture-book retelling of a folktale from Central Mexico. The three women - one elderly, one middle-aged, one young and beautiful - feed Don Aurelia, and he finds himself sleeping through the night and next day. Warned by the youngest witch, Emilia, that he is in danger, he fails to escape that night, and finds himself imprisoned in a cage. It is then that Emilia, with whom he has fallen in love, takes a more active role in helping him to escape, telling him to burn the three witches' faces, which they remove at night before going out flying, and to fly away himself on magical wings of straw. She also asks him to burn her own witch face, and to make her a new one, before summoning her to him. He does the latter, but fails to do the former, and trouble ensues. Introducing Emilia, who now has a misshapen, leather-like face to his family, Don Aurelio finds it difficult to accept his love with her new, less beautiful appearance. When his father questions him about his engagement, he becomes discouraged, and taking Emilia's original witch face from its hiding place, he places it on her while she is sleeping. Confronted with this betrayal, Emilia leaves him, vowing to become a witch after all, and Don Aurelio, crippled from a fall, mourns her loss for the rest of his life...

According to the brief author's note at the beginning of The Witch's Face: A Mexican Tale, the story here is partially taken from the oral tradition of the Mazahua Indian people of Central Mexico, and from a Spanish-language adaptation of it, La Esposa Bruja. A version can be found in Lilian Scheffler's Cuentos y leyendas de México : tradición oral de grupos indígenas y mestizos, although Eric A. Kimmel's presentation seems to be the first time it has appeared in English. I'm so glad that he has retold it, as the story is both fascinating and haunting, and I only wish that more of the witch folklore from this region - apparently there is a wealth of tales - was translated. I appreciated the unhappy ending here, as it ran counter to my expectations, but also felt very natural in the story. It is clear that Don Aurelia does feel something sincere for Emilia, as witnessed by his lifelong grief at her loss, but it is also clear that he lacks the strength to look past appearances, and the faithfulness necessary to keep his word to her. The accompanying artwork from Mexican illustrator Fabricio Vanden Broeck is dark-toned and very expressive, quite well-suited to the nature of the tale. All in all, this was a wonderfully engaging picture-book folktale, one I would recommend to readers who enjoy stories about witches, or who are interested in the traditional lore of Mexico. ( )

This was an interesting book and is something I would read to higher levels. Only because it is slightly creepy. The message is about loving someone for who they are and not what they look like. It's a great message to send to children so they can think for themselves that beauty isn't everything. The removal of the witch's face was kind of weird and could be my least favorite part of the book but I know that was the whole idea to create the book so I understand its necessity. ( )

Don Aurelio sets out on a journey, but when he grows tired and sees lights up ahead he ties his horse up and decided to ask for a place to stay the night. When he knocks at the door he's greeted by three mysterious women. The youngest, and most attractive of the women, warns Don Aurelio, "Beware. All is not as it seems."

Although the story seemed promising, offering some of the intrigue of Twelve Dancing Princesses, the language was not as rich. Sometimes I found myself wondering why certain words were chosen. One quote in particular stuck out, "Love? I could understand if she were a beauty. But when a young man of good family falls in love with a freak, he is either insane or bewitched." In the context of the story his father is distant, but there seems to be no precedent for him to go so far as to use the word freak. An adjective describing the face Don Auralio had tried to carve for her in some way might have better fit the story. "Attractive" was another one that jumped out in my reading. After years of reading fairytales and folktales I thought this word would turn out to be beautiful. While predictability is not always good, some familiarity with expected phrasing can be a comfort.

The book opens with a wonderful illustration, featuring cacti dotting the hillsides and a lone traveler embarking on a journey through a fertile valley and tall mountains. The following illustrations by Fabricio Vanden Broeck contribute immensely to the pull of the story. I enjoyed the color palate and period figures. I will be curious to read more adaptions of The Witches Face. Are witches in Mexican folklore immortal? This could be a good read for exploring folklore or to couple with stories about Selkie, or Scottish form-changing mythical figures. Just as the witch and Don Auralio are not destined to be, the fisherman who stumbled upon the discarded sealskin never ends up with the mermaid. Through some twist or turn...she finds her skin and returns to the water. ( )

Book can be a little to graphic for younger students. A basic horror story that can be used around hallows eve ( )

This is a good book to read to kids. I would use this book to introduce the genre of horror. ( )