Pipiolo and the Roof Dogs is an illustrated children's fiction book written by Brian Meunier and painted/illustrated by Perky Edgerton. The story takes place in the rural Mexican village of San Pablo Etla. It focuses on a dog, Pipiolo and his attempts to rescue the guard dogs trapped on the roofs. It is narrated by the dog's owner, a young Mexican girl named Lupe. Although elements of the story border on the fantastic (the dog's quest for freedom), details in the text and illustrations reflect a those of a real Mexican village. In reality, placing dogs on the flat roofs of houses is a common practice in some villages in Mexico.

San Pablo Etla is a real village located in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...

 state. The author and illustrator lived there for some time before the creation of the book.

A Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...

review of the book praised the "lush illustrations", but noted that the political symbolism of Pipiolo's quest might "fly over" young reader's heads.

Illustrations

The interior paintings, which strike a balance between realism and stylization, reflect the vibrant Mexican atmosphere. The illustrations are very colorful, with many bright, saturated colors that seem slightly unnatural (the yellow-orange Pipiolo). Other bright colors can be seen in the houses of the village and the flora of the desert.

Text

1. Meunier, Brian. (2003). Pipiolo and the Roof Dogs. Dutton Children's Books. Hardcover: ISBN 0-525-47128-6