"The Pig That Is Not a Pig. El Cerdo Que No Es Cerdo" (High Desert Productions) by Maria Luisa Retana and illustrated by Marian Weaver, features the work of two Bisbee creative citizens who have produced an attractive, informative bilingual children's book about wild javelina.

J.C. Martin
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona
Published: 11.01.2007

On March 9, 2006 Mrs. Retana and Mrs. Rhoads visited Valley View Elementary. They presented their workshop “Tanilí” and it was excellent. It included art, music, movement and literature. The children truly enjoyed playing the instruments. I highly recommend Mrs. Retana and Mrs. Rhoads as presenters to visit your school.

María Ojeda Roddey, Hereford, AZ.

Dear Mrs. Retana,

Thank you for reading us your javelina story. We liked the skulls and the clay javelina! We enjoyed singing the song. We didn’t know javelinas have a smell you can smell from 20 yards away. Thank you for visiting our school!

Your Friends,
Mrs. Tipton’s Kindergarten Tigers
Valley View Elementary, Hereford, AZ.

I just received The Pig that is not a Pig, and Born into the Pack - I plan to take them to Mexico to give to underprivileged children. I can't wait to see their faces, when they actually hold books written in both Spanish and English. I have been told that even teachers often cannot afford books in the small city I am going to visit and that many kids will be sharing these books!!

D. Creach

Tanili is a wonderful Cuban-folktale based on a post-slavery era in Cuba. It's about a lizard that has an enormous, magical impact on it's residents. Tanili can transform you, and allows us to see that color does not define who we are and as long as we work together, anything is possible.

-J. Truman

I must say this is a “wonderful site” for your production company. The earth tone colors and layout blend nicely and project a great peaceful atmosphere. I am so impressed to see how many different countries read your books throughout the world. Congratulations and good show!

- Timothy -

Maria Retana's bilingual books are a fun way to learn Spanish while also learning about these animals of the southwest. With the translations on the same page, it's easy for students to understand what they're reading as they go along. By reading the Spanish out loud they learn correct pronunciation and they can easily check the meaning of vocabulary or phrases on the same page. The stories are charming and the illustrations a delight!

M. Walker, Teacher

Congratulations, Ms Retana and staff. Your website is excellent. I've enjoyed the presentation of it all, and the great links you've incorporated into your site. I wish you all the best, and as we say in Spanish, "patadita para la buena suerte".

G. Rois

I really enjoyed The Mystic Call! I think it has an awesome story behind it and the illustrations are beautiful! I am looking forward to Grandma's Trunk!

T. Retana

The Pig That is Not a Pig is a wonderful, entertaining book that should be read by every child. It's not only a fun read but it teaches children (actually anyone that reads it) about the little written about the world of the javelina. The author makes the reader feel like they are right there with the animals: eating, sleeping and playing. Educational yet adventurous, The Pig That is Not a Pig would be a great addition to any children's book shelf. However, what really separates this book from almost any other of its kind, is the fact that it's bilingual. With the two languages on either side it's very easy for the reader to tell the story in both languages. Whether the listener is ESL or just wanting to be exposed to a new culture/language; this book's layout is perfect.

Ismael

Grandma's Trunk/El Baúl de Mamaíta reflects grief without despair, and is beautiful and sensitive. It shows sadness without despair, and hope and joy in the depth of love.

S. Brown

Born Into The Pack/Nacer en la manada is a wonderful addition to a series of Southwest nature books for young children by María Luisa Retana. The book is filled with solid information and the text has questions built into the story line to engage the reader throughout. Be sure to include this book as a part of your classroom or library collection for science or nature!

Margarita González-Jensen, Ed.D
Associate Professor School of Education
Arizona State University
and book reviewer for Multicultural Review

Retana's first children's book The Pig That Is Not a Pig/El cerdo que no es cerdo is an accurate story about the life of the wild javelina. The information about the life and ways of these javelinas is both interesting and factual. I would recommend this book to any elementary teacher who wants to expand his or her library offerings in the area of science or animals of the Southwest desert.

Margarita González-Jensen, Ed.D
Associate Professor School of Education
Arizona State University
and book reviewer for Multicultural Review

Are you curious? Are you an explorer? Beware! In María Luisa Retana's imaginative wilderness tale, The Mystic Call / La Llamada Mística, Spotty the fawn and his heedless young pals... a coatimundi, a javelina, a skunk, a coyote, and a mountain lion... are tempted to seek out unsuspected depths where danger lurks for the unwary. With the help of their newfound friends, the adventurous young animals narrowly escape disaster. Steve Bovée's glorious watercolor illustrations are a feast for the eyes, delighting young and old readers alike. Be careful where you go exploring!

Susan Fern Amesse
Storyteller

Have you ever visited the Island of Cuba? This story tells of an afternoon in the Colonial town of Sancti Spiritus. Here children enjoy friendship, laughter, and the sharing of their snacks.
The illustrations in the story are created using computer enhanced hand drawn pictures. Readers will experience amazing eye popping illustrations that beautifully capture the life of children in Cuba.

Manuel García
Artist

Tanili is a magical story based on an Afrocuban folktale. It was told to the author by her grandmother when she was a child in Cuba. The tale tells of how Domitila and her grandson, Tanili, use the enchanting song of a lizard to summon the neighbors to assist in the harvest of their cotton. Even the rich but reluctant Antonio cannot resist the charming influence of the lizard's song. The story is beautifully illustrated in full color by Mary Ann Hanson.

Elizabeth Fisher
Author

Grandma's Trunk / El Baúl de Mamaíta gives the reader a tender scene about the special relationship between a child, a beloved grandmother and a treasured keepsake. After many years, the child's wish concerning the ritual is fulfilled.

Joan Reichel
Librarian

The illustrations in Grandma’s Trunk/El baúl de Mamaíta bring their own special complement of warmth, color, affection and care to the narrative. Artist Pat Pollock Roads is as simpática and insightful as artist, mother and grandmother can be.

Alvin Sandler
Artist

In Grandma's Trunk / El Baúl de Mamaíta author María Luisa Retana offers an encouraging, comforting, and multicultural experience for children dealing with grief and renewal.

Raymond Gonzales
Librarian

Children will treasure the story, Grandma’s Trunk/El baúl de Mamaíta and its content. It reveals the special relationship between a grandmother and child and a wish fulfilled through a treasured keepsake. The beautiful full color illustrations by Pat Pollock Rhoads, are engaging to the reader, and reflect the warmth of this special relationship. This title is a powerful and sweet book for those who has suffered the loss of a grandparent

E. Smith

My 4th graders love the illustrations in The Mystic Call. They think the characters are very funny. The students, following the map in the story as a guide, made their own map and some of them wrote their own stories.

A. Wood

Once again María Luisa Retana provides us with a fact-filled book about the Southwest Arizona's interesting and unique animals. Tall Tails From a Mountain Slope/Los rabos altos de la ladera tells the story of the white-nosed coatis. These monkey-like mammals resemble raccoons with long tails that stick in the air as they scamper through the forests playing and searching for food.
Although they are good climbers they enjoy eating fallen leaves and their diets also include lizards, insects and even yummy tarantulas. This book will leave the children eager for more information on animals that are unique to Arizona.

Margarita González-Jensen, Ed.D
Associate Professor School of Education
Arizona State University
and book reviewer for Multicultural Review