Classic South Texas ‘Stories That Must Not Die’ Folktale Book Planned for Republishing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ZAPATA, TEXAS. October 23, 2026
Del Alma Publications, a South Texas book publishing company, will publish a revised edition of the popular folktale collection Stories That Must Not Die by the late Juan Sauvageau. This young adult book series will be combined into a single book, and it is slated for release in the spring of 2027. Del Alma Publications Editor Dr. María Alma González Pérez acquired world rights to the book, and an audiobook will be released simultaneously in English and in Spanish.
This collection of forty bilingual folktales is a South Texas cult classic. Sauvageau, a former priest and folklorist, came to South Texas in the mid-20th century to teach at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University – Kingsville). A scholar of the human experience, he sought out local folklore. Sauvageau visited small towns and ranches from Laredo to Brownsville in search of unique Mexican American folktales and traditions with the desire to preserve them for future generations.
Some of these tales included eerie ghost stories like the infamous La Llorona, mysterious treasures like All or Nothing, historical accounts like The Rangers, and fables like The Horse and the Bee, among others.
“Stories that Must Not Die, a folktale classic, has transcended time and space by bringing to light the rich tradition of storytelling in the Mexican American cultural heritage. We’re elated and most proud to publish a revised edition of Dr. Juan Sauvageau’s remarkable work,” stated Dr. González Pérez.
The revised edition will also include new illustrations. A reader’s reflection, along with vocabulary and cognate lists to extend learning, will be available for download on the publisher’s website.
“I am very excited to be able to bring this book ‘Stories That Must Not Die’ back to the world. It is a very important book that had such an impact, most especially on the Hispanic population from the late 1970’s into the 90’s. My father, Juan Sauvageau, put his life and soul into this work and loved every minute, from traveling to every town in the Rio Grande Valley, to gathering all the fables and tales, to spending years writing it. I’m sure he’s looking down saying, ‘Thank you’ to me and to the publishers as well as to everyone this book has been a part of. I hope it finds its way back into the hands of all those people who loved it back then and can now share it with their families and loved ones,” added Roger Sauvageau, Sauvageau’s son.
Stories that Must Not Die will be available for preorder via the publisher’s website at www.delalmapublications.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. John (Juan, pen name) Sauvageau was a prolific author of bilingual books. Born in Quebec, Canada, he immigrated to the United States to complete his studies. He obtained his master’s degree in education and a PhD in romance languages from Tulane University.
Sauvageau taught at universities in Mexico, France, Spain, and in the United States in Texas and Idaho. His publications include Stories that must not die; A pesar del río: In Spite of the River - A bilingual novel; Stories, Fables, and Poems for You, Bilingual Edition; The Enchanted Piñata / La Piñata Encantada: Bilingual Poems for Children, and Stories to Remember / Historias para recorder. Sauvageau’s books are widely used in schools and in libraries throughout the United States and Mexico.
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