Joe Hayes is one of America's premier storytellers. He grew up in a small town in southern Arizona and developed a lifelong interest in the cultures and creatures of the region. As Hayes got older, he began reading the work of folklorists and anthropologists and gathering the old stories from the Southwest region. His books for young readers have received numerous awards. He lives in New Mexico.

Rebecca Leer has been a freelance illustrator for many years. Her illustrations and paintings have been awarded by organizations such as the New York Society of Illustrators, LA Society of Illustrators, Oil Painters of America, The Salmagundi Club, Hudson Valley Artists Association, American Artists Professional League, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club and Allied Artists of American, including four Best in Show. You can see more of her work at rebeccaleer.com.

"The landscapes and lore of the desert are captured in this traditional Hispanic fable. . . Hayes includes an author's note about his sources, while Leer successfully combines the colors of the southwest with the caricatured figures who piquantly inhabit the tale. An entertaining marriage of pictures and words." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The exaggerated facial expressions flatter the hyperbolic story line while also helping to clarify for children the moral choices found in this deftly told tale." -- Publishers Weekly

"The attractive paintings do a nice job of re-creating the Old Southwest, featuring desert colors and flora, fauna, and architecture of the region. The art also helps kids visualize just how a tortilla becomes an eating utensil." -- Booklist

"Leer's realistic paintings, rendered in pastels, display a southern Arizona desertscape. The faces of the three main characters are especially vivid in their display of emotion." -- School Library Journal

Land of Enchantment Book Award Winner - New Mexico Library Association
Tejas Star Reading List - Texas Library Association (TLA)