This book is composed of three separate fables: a rooster that crows violets to help support Rosa's family, a clay pot that takes Rosa to heaven to pick out a star, and a wolf that a gives Rosa a missing wedding ring. I like the magic that is displayed in each of the fables, as well as the Spanish vocabulary used frequently in the text. This book would be appropriate for the primary grades 1-3 to share some magical multicultural fables and to introduce some Spanish vocabulary.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There are three very short stories, almost fables, that are engaging and magical for very young readers. What I dislike about this, and other books by Geeslin, is the mixing of Spanish words into an English text. As a parent trying to raise a bilingual child, I make a point of separating the two languages in order to model good language skills. The sprinkling of Spanish words might be desirable for Anglo parents who want their kids to pick up a little Spanish vocabulary, but is of little use for those of us wishing to develop true fluency in both languages for our children. When I read this book aloud to my daughter, I simply translate it, telling the story in EITHER English OR Spanish, without mixing the two. ( )