Saygar the Magnificent

By: Elizabeth Jurado

Narrated by: Rick Struve

Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Join the adventures of Joseph and Saygar in this one-of-a-kind book!

When Joseph Mateo captures an ant in a soda bottle to bring as a show-and-tell project, he is shocked by the sudden appearance of a weird-looking kid in the classroom closet. This wasn’t some ordinary transfer kid - it was his ant from that morning, miraculously transformed into a human-sized ant!

Joseph’s no-drama life is turned upside down as he takes on the challenging role as the ant’s protector. After finding clothes for the ant and naming him Saygar A. Hill, Joseph hides the ant in plain sight: in his classroom - room 106.

He watches Saygar’s every move to make sure no one finds out his true identity, which is hard considering the two wriggling antennae coming out of his head, his voracious appetite, and sensitivity to dairy. Not to mention his teacher, Ms. Kelly, is deathly afraid of bugs (and keeps bug spray handy on her desk).

Together, Joseph and Saygar tackle bullies, deal with an imaginary Madagascan hissing cockroach, and save the day at the annual Fall Olympics. You’ve never seen a duo like this before!

©2019 Elizabeth Jurado (P)2019 Elizabeth Jurado

Cleverly told chapter book with a twist

Saygar the Magnificent is an original chapter book that upper grades in elementary schools thru early high school will enjoy through & through. The audiobook is a great way to hear how the author intended to have the characters like Joseph come to life with excellent narration. I was intrigued to find the author, Elizabeth Jurado, is from El Paso, Texas which gives the story some cultural beauty and value with Mexican fun words that make you appreciate her voice and experience to accompany a well done plot story. I can see this made into a cartoon come to life. Bravo for the books' Illustrations - the art in each chapter are also well done!

Cute kids story

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. This is a cute tale for kids. The publisher’s summary is good so I won’t expand. There were Spanish words/phrases which enriched the story. There is a glossary at the end of the book.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Rick Struve ) and I would listen to another. He did a good job portraying the young kids. His voices for the boys and girls were well done and made listening enjoyable. His voice brings a lightness to the story.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Say it ant so...

Saygar the Magnificent by Elizabeth Jurado and narrated by Rick Struve is a fun one! Def recommend if you’re looking for something new for the kids or family. My 9 y.o. nephew loved it!

What’s it about? Joseph bring an ant to a show-and-tell and things take a turn for the worst when the ant turns into a life size real kid whom they call Saygar. Joseph has no idea why or how this happened, but he does know he needs to hide Saygar’s antennae so the others don’t find out. The story is a nice mix of humor, kid challenges, and life lessons. There’s a variety of characters who don’t always get along, but all come together in the end and work as a team. There is a glossary at the end to help further your knowledge if you are not familiar with the subjects. There are a couple phrases in Spanish which was a nice bonus.

The narrator, Rick Struve, did a great job. He brought the characters to life and voices were fun.


Overall, I recommend, especially if you’re looking for a fun, unique story.


“Always think before you promise anything,” my mother warned. “Once you make a promise, you do all you can to keep it. People have to believe in your world. So always remember, a promise is a promise.”


Parental guidance/trigger warnings: There is some bullying, but it is handled by the group of kids (they work together- I’ll leave it at that).


“I was given this book at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to review the book!”

My 1st audiobook!! 😁

This was a very endearing story. I loved the way they overcame their differences to work as a team and find strength in themselves and to find friendship. The narration was done well. He made it sound so easy transitioning his voice to portray the several different characters!!! It made it easy to imagine the characters, especially Marcy! LOL