The Christmas Gift (Hardcover)

by Francisco Jimenez (Author), Claire B. Cotts (Illustrator) "A few days before Christmas, Panchito's family decided it was time to move again..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Ages 5-9. Like La Mariposa (1999), this picture book in both English and Spanish tells one story from Jimenez's award-winning autobiographical collection, The Circuit: Sto ries from the Life of a Migrant Child (1997). The boy Panchito dreams of getting a red ball for Christmas; but there's no work and no money for presents, and the family must move again. When a man and his pregnant wife try to sell their meager possessions to get food and shelter, Panchito hears his father say, "We're broke, too." The surprise on the last page reveals Papa's true gifts of kindness and love. The child's focus is on his own disappointing gift, and, like him, the young picture-book audience may miss the subtlety of the Christmas metaphor about the couple finding no room at the inn. However, Cotts' stylized acrylic paintings, rich in color, express the tenderness of the narrative and the facts of the poverty. The story's power is in the simple words that directly tell of having to leave home. As the family drives away in search of work, Panchito waves to his friends on the school playground, "but they [do] not see him." Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A touching holiday offering, with an emphasis on family love and sharing." —School Library Journal -- Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (September 27, 2000)
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN-10: 0395928699
• ISBN-13: 978-0395928691
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #423,210 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #82 in	Books > Libros en español > Infantil y juvenil > Asuntos
  #98 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Homelessness & Poverty

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and moving story., October 29, 2001

By A Customer

A true story from the author's childhood, this is a beautiful and moving tale told simply in both English and Spanish. My wife and I were both dabbing our eyes with handkerchiefs by the time we finished reading. The illustrations are very well done and enhance the message of the book. Highly recommended as an antidote to the typical materialist emphasis of Christmas.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention Parents!, January 4, 2003

By	Cathy Matteson (Santa Clara, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I actually found this book in a barber shop. The illustrations got the attention of my 2 year old. What a find! Every parent regardless of the age of their children should read this book at bed time. It had the attention of my four children, ages 2 to 10. I actually felt like I was reading my parents, and grandparents Christmas story. I was lucky enough to not have to live my life through rough times like this. I was able to have the education that my parents and grandparents worked so hard for, but only could dream of. This story helped me remember and appreciate all they had to endure. What a story it brought me back to my roots. Only warning I have for future readers... have tissues close at hand!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Francisco Jiménez hits a HOME RUN again, January 24, 2004

By	Scott AL Beck (Stateboro, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This is yet another powerful children's book by Francisco Jiménez. His books, based upon his own experiences as a child of migrant farmworkers, are consistently both beautiful and instructive, heart-rending and joyous. For the vast majority of Americans who don't think about the lives of the people pick and process the food we eat, this book is a gentle, but strong reminder of the continued existance of poverty in our nation.