Book Review - THE LEGEND OF THE POINTSETTIA by Tomie dePaola

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
dePaola, Tomie. 1997. THE LEGEND OF THE POINSETTIA. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0698115678


2. PLOT SUMMARY
Each year in Lucinda's town, there is a Christmas procession. Upset that she has nothing to bring, Lucinda hides and watches from the shadows. An old woman happens upon her and reassures her that the Baby Jesus will love whatever Lucinda gives because of the mere fact that it is given. Her simple gift of weeds turns out to be a Christmas miracle as they blossomed into pointsettias.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This retelling of the poinsettia legend is poignant. The story is straight-forward and hits home to children who are in the similar situation of having "nothing" to give at Christmas. Readers will be taken in by her plight and be delighted by the happy ending. This is one of those unforgetable stories that children need only hear once to remember.

It is dePaola's illustrations that have the most impact. Each pages reinforces, or in fact, tells the story in vivid detail. The layouts are rich in color and transfer the moods of the characters as well as the time of day. dePaola's depiction of the Mexican culture appears authentic and the reader feels immersed in the traditions and customs.

dePaola's writing and drawing styles go over well with children. His stories are easy to follow and his illustrations are so distinctive that children know who wrote the story just by looking at the cover. This particular title is quite popular with children as it sends a message of hope.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "His skillfully pared-down narrative and paintings that glow with strong colors present the story of a well-intentioned Mexican child, Lucida."

* Starred review in BOOKLIST: "The spreads, which feature everyday occurrences (set in a generic era), are magnificently staged and colored and culminate in the last spread--Lucinda praying at a creche, with a profusion of poinsettias decorating the pages."


5. CONNECTIONS
* Again, this is an opportunity to compare and contrast the illustrations with other dePaola stories, perhaps STEGA NONA. Can also be used with a non-fiction book on poinsettias.

* Because dePaola's illustrations are stories in and of themselves, have students "read" the story to you before you read it to them.