Author: Joanne Oppenheim. Illustrated by Fabian Negrin Format: Hardcover book with jackets, 32 pages. Bilingual Journey’s Age Recommendations: 4 to 9 years Country of origin: USA Description: This book is a beautifully told and charmingly illustrated story about the miraculous story of the first poinsettia and how a young girl learns one Christmas Eve that a gift from the heart is the best gift of all. Accessible, engaging text teaches children the valuable life lesson of the power of faith and trust and encourages personal integrity. Editorial Review: Troubled that she has no pesos to buy a gift for the Christ child, Juanita humbly follows the mystical behest of a stone angel to bring weeds to the midnight mass instead. Miraculously, the weeds transform into poinsettias because they are a "gift from the heart." More languidly paced than Tomie dePaola's tightly spun Legend of the Poinsettia, Oppenheim's telling sags a bit under the focus on the family's poverty and heavy-handed insertions of Spanish vocabulary. Negrin's (The Secret Footprints) striking illustrations, however, energize the tale, taking their cue from the brilliant flowers and sun-kissed colors of Old World Mexico. His mixed-media art creates a lush, dreamlike environment where anything seems possible. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. |
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