The Power Potion

by Wendelin Van Draanen

  For this story, for today, the time has come to say…adíos!

  A GUIDE TO SPANISH AND STICKYNESE TERMS

  adiós (Spanish / ah-DEE-ohs): goodbye, see ya later, alligator

  amigo (Spanish / ah-MEE-go): friend, buddy, pal

  ándale (Spanish / AHN-duh-lay): hurry up, come on, get a move on

  asombroso (Spanish / ah-sohm-BRO-so): awesome, amazing

  ay-ay-ay (Spanish and a Sticky favorite): depending on the inflection, this could mean oh brother, oh please, or you have got to be kidding

  ay caramba (Spanish and a Sticky favorite / ai cah-RAHM-bah): oh wow! or oh brother! or I am not believing this!

  ay chihuahua (Stickynese / ai chee-WAH-wah): oh man, oh no

  bobo (Spanish / BO-bo): dumb, foolish, silly

  cabeza (Spanish / cah-BAY-thah): head

  estúpido (Spanish / eh-STOO-pee-do): stupid

  excelente picante (Spanish and Stickynese / ex-sel-EN-tay pee-CAHN-tay): excellent and spicy hot!

  fieras (Spanish / fee-EH-rahs): wild animals, beasts

  freaky frijoles (Stickynese / free-HO-lays): literally, weird beans. But for Sticky, oh wow or how strange

  gata (Spanish / GAH-tauh): female cat

  genio beanio (Stickynese / hay-nee-oh BEE-nee-oh): genius!

  híjole (Spanish / HEE-ho-lay): wow!

  holy tacarole / holy guaca-tacarole (Stickynese / gwah-cuh-tah-cuh-RO-lee): holy smokes!

  hombre (Spanish / AHM-bray): man, dude

  horroroso (Spanish / hor-or-OH-so): horrible, terrifying, awful

  lobo (Spanish / LO-bo): wolf

  loco (Spanish / LO-co): crazy, loony

  loco-berry burritos (Stickynese): literally, crazy-berry rolled tortilla sandwiches. But for Sticky, extra-specially crazy

  matón (Spanish / mah-TONE): bully, tough guy

  mi’jo (Spanish / MEE-ho): dear, my darling boy. For a girl, you’d say mi’ja (MEE-ha)

  morrocotudo (Spanish / mor-ro-co-TOO-do): fabulous, wonderful

  pistola (Spanish / pees-TOH-la): pistol, gun

  ratero (Spanish / rah-TAIR-oh): thief

  señor (Spanish / SEN-yohr): mister

  sí (Spanish / see): yes

  vámonos (Spanish / VAH-mo-nohs): let’s go!

  zonzo (Spanish / SOHN-so): stupid, dumb

  THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2010 by Wendelin Van Draanen Parsons

  Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Stephen Gilpin

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  Visit us on the Web! www.randomhouse.com/kids

  Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at www.randomhouse.com/teachers

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Van Draanen, Wendelin.

  The power potion / by Wendelin Van Draanen ; illustrations by Stephen Gilpin. — 1st ed.

  p. cm. — (The Gecko and Sticky)

  Summary: Thirteen-year-old Dave and Sticky, his kleptomaniac sidekick gecko, try to keep a special potion from falling into the hands of the diabolical Damien Black.

  eISBN: 978-0-375-89622-4

  [1. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Geckos—Fiction. 4. Lizards—Fiction. 5. Hispanic Americans—Fiction. 6. Humorous stories.] I. Gilpin, Stephen, ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.V2857Po 2010

  [Fic]—dc22

  2009028699

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

  v3.0