Publisher's Weekly Review
Caribbean breezes, not swirling snow, waft through this autobiographical picture book (adapted from a previously published essay) set on the sunny, lush island of Puerto Rico. Santiago (When I Was Puerto Rican) recalls childhood memories and cultural traditions as a seven-year-old girl who, more than anything, wants a doll for El Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings' Day, celebrated January 6). The warm bonds of family radiate in Sanchez's velvety acrylics, and readers can almost hear the parrandas (carolers) singing in the night. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Richly colored acrylic paintings set the scene in Puerto Rico for an autobiographical tale in which Esmeralda and her younger sister each ask for their own baby doll for El Diía de Los Tres Reyes Magos. Weaving together traditional holiday customs and a child-centered story, Santiago writes honestly of her disappointment with the present she received. Glos. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
This touching story of a little girl's unfulfilled dream is based on an event in the author's own childhood in Puerto Rico. The main character, seven-year-old Esmeralda, has no doll of her own and longs for a blonde, blue-eyed baby doll just like one owned by her cousin. Esmeralda and her large family celebrate all the traditions and special customs of the season, and the children each look forward to receiving one special gift to be left by the Three Magi. Esmeralda and her younger sister Delsa each ask for a doll, but only Delsa receives the longed-for baby doll, while Esmeralda receives a board game that doesn't interest her. Her heartbreak at this disappointment and her subsequent jealous reaction is palpably captured in both text and illustrations, conveying the intensity of a child's unguarded emotions. The first-person text unfolds smoothly and lyrically, with a few Spanish words for key phrases, family members and holiday names interwoven within context. Esmeralda's world comes to life in the acrylic paintings by Sánchez, who captures the little girl's facial expressions with heart-tugging immediacy. (author's note, illustrator's note, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. In her first picture book, the author of When I Was Puerto Rican (1993) and other adult memoirs draws on her Christmas memories to tell a moving story. Sanchez's clear, bright, double-page acrylic artwork shows Esmeralda, seven, and her poor Puerto Rican family celebrating the traditional holiday and attending Misa de Gallo (midnight mass) on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Esmeralda writes to los Tres Reyes Magos (the three Magi) to bring her a baby doll like her cousin's (white, with blue eyes that close ). When Esmeralda's little sister, Delsa, gets the doll instead, Esmeralda is furious. When her father explains that the Magi could bring only one doll, she sees his sadness and love, and she agrees to be the doll's madrina (godmother). The jealousy, sadness, and love in the midst of real family struggle make a great holiday story. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist