Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about Guapo’s Giant Heart: The True Story of The Calf Who Kept Growing, a picture book written by Janet Zappala and Wendy Perkins, illustrated by Lara Calleja, and published in 2022. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
The book bunnies were sent a review copy of the book.
Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we have a story about rescue animals.
Caramel: Yes, we do, it is about a calf who starts out on a farm, but then a woman named Lynn comes and takes him from his mommy and siblings to her own farm. She names him Guapo.
S: Yes, it seems like the calf and his siblings would be given away or sold, and Lynn took one for her farm because she had room for only one calf. A lot of animals are separated from their parents early in their lives.
C: Yeah, but it is kind of unfair. I like living with my book bunnies family. And it would be sad to have to grow up without you all.
S: Yeah, I am also glad you are growing up with all of us Caramel! But maybe the calf was born into a situation where they could not take care of him. We are lucky that we have enough resources to live as a family and feed ourselves.
C: Yes, that is a very good thing.
S: Glad we agree! Okay, so let us get back to the book. Guapo grows up in Lynn’s farm, right?
C: Yes, until Lynn’s farm runs out of space. Then he is moved, again, to a new farm.
S: Yeah, he grows big, right? But he also makes friends on Lynn’s farm.
C: Yep. He is basically a little calf growing up with a lot of other animal friends. It actually sounds like it could be fun growing up with a whole lot of different animal friends. Putting aside the part that he does not have his family with him anymore.
S: Yes. I think we have to put that aside.
C: Okay.
S: So what happens next?
C: Then he moves to the new farm, but then he is all lonely again, because the animals in that farm don’t know him. All they see is a big bull. And so they are probably scared of him.
S: Yeah, that is sad too. He is very different from them. But eventually he makes friends again, right?
C: Yes! He is friendly, and at some point Lynn brings a little pot bellied pig that was Guapo’s friend from earlier, so the other animals in the new farm see that Guapo is kind and friendly and they eventually come around to being friendly with him too.
S: So at the end of the book we learn that this story is inspired by a real rescue calf named Guapo who then became a big bull. Were you surprised to learn that?
C: Yeah, I did not know that there were farms where different kinds of animals lived together like that. Like I thought there could be a couple horses and a couple cows and seven chickens and so on. But in this farm that Guapo ends up in, almost all animals are one of a kind. I guess they are all rescue animals. Somehow they could not continue to live where they had been living, so this place and other places like it collect them and give them a home.
S: Yeah, it is interesting, right?
C: Yup. And cool. Because all animals deserve a home.
S: I agree, Caramel. What did you think about the illustrations?
C: It is a nice picture book, and the animals look very real. So I liked them.
S: Yeah, and it is not quite fiction, apparently, and we both learned some things about rescue farms. So that is also good, no?
C: Yep!
S: So maybe this is a good time to wrap this up?
C: Sure!
S: What do you want to tell our readers then?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
