Miguel Must Fight!

K-Gr 3–Young Miguel lives in a southwestern town, possibly in the U.S. or Mexico, where both English and Spanish are spoken, with his grandparents, parents, and younger sister, all of whom enjoy the family passion for sword-fighting. Peaceful Miguel prefers to explore nature and create art; his family objects, telling him that “every boy should learn to defend himself and his family!” Miguel asserts his time is better spent capturing beauty. The mayor tells him that it is his duty to defend his village and even him, which adults may read as a reference to conscription. When El Dragón swoops into town and attacks, everyone but Miguel goes at it with their swords. Acrylic and gouache illustrations rendered digitally show richly hued scenes of the story; these are vibrant and warmly textured, almost invitingly tactile. Palacios rivets attention to the landscape, populated by brown-skinned family members and townspeople. However, the images don’t consistently match Ofelia’s well-intentioned text, as when the swords are said to have “burnt to a crisp.” The tale’s characterization of Miguel as a pacifist drawn to nature in refutation of cultural messages and the imperative of violence as a family legacy may remind readers of Munro Leaf’s classic The Story of Ferdinand. Disarming the dragon through his charming drawings, Miguel receives the love he seeks; his family sees his art as a strength and the town celebrates him as a hero. While the questions raised by the legacy of violence are never fully addressed or resolved, the universal message of acceptance will satisfy some.