Help me find an old children's book.

February 4, 2008 5:12 PM

Help me find an old children's book.

I don't know the date of publication, although it's at least thirty years old. I think it was called either Chico or Chino, and it was about a Mexican (I...think?) kid who was friends with a little guy who was some kind of Mayan statuette come to life. Maybe he was an Inca statuette? I expect it wasn't originally published in English, though I know there was an English language version. I know this isn't much to go on, but I figure if you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about. Thanks...

posted by kittens for breakfast to media & arts (8 comments total)

Can you remember anything else? Were there illustrations? Did the cover have a drawing of the boy on it?
posted by iconomy at 7:16 PM on February 4, 2008

Yeah, the cover had a picture of the kid shaking hands (I think) with the little figurine guy.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:38 PM on February 4, 2008

And I'm almost certain that the book was illustrated.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:40 PM on February 4, 2008

The first two I linked have covers with a boy that's holding something. Is the statuette supposed to be of a human? The others just have the word Chico in the title.

Big Horse Little Horse
...And Juan
Chico
Chico the Street Boy
Chico of the Andes
Chico of the + Up Ranch
posted by iconomy at 7:44 PM on February 4, 2008

Hurm. Yeah, it doesn't seem to be any of those (thank you, though!). The statuette is definitely humanoid -- he's kind of like a gingerbread man, I guess, only...you know...made of rock.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:03 PM on February 4, 2008

Argh. I'll look some more. If it's any consolation, I love your AskMe questions, even though no one ever seems to be able to answer them! You have such a vivid way of describing your memories. I'm always on the lookout for the movie with the pencil sharpener nose guy.

I've tried using the term statue, statuette, figure, figurine, sculpture and doll with no results yet.
posted by iconomy at 7:04 AM on February 5, 2008

It's probably not The Tomb of the Mayan King or Secret of the Andes.
posted by fidelity at 10:14 AM on February 5, 2008

Heh heh -- thanks, Iconomy! Um...some of my questions get answered...(sometimes...)

And no, fidelity, I'm pretty sure it's not either of those, although I kind of want to read Secret of the Andes now.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 12:28 PM on February 5, 2008