Manuela's Gift [Hardcover]

Kristyn Rehling Estes (Author), Claire Cotts (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

More than anything, Manuela wants a new yellow party dress for her birthday. But times are hard for her family and what she gets instead is her Mama's blue dress cut and resewn to fit her. Disappointed, she lays down under the pinata Papa has hung for her party and begins to dream that it is filled with new dresses. She also dreams that the pinata holds eggs for Mama to cook, rain for Papa's thirsty corn, and a strong horse for Grandmother to ride when she is tired. Thinking of her family, Manuela discovers that she has much to be thankful for. Kristyn Estes' poetic text and Claire Cotts' magical paintings make this a touching story full of hope and celebration.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Manuela dreams of a beautiful yellow dress, "the color of the rising sun." It is the gift she most wants for her birthday, but times are hard for her family. So, the dress she receives, an old one of her mother's, lovingly recut and altered to fit her, leaves her disappointed. Her mother senses the child's lack of enthusiasm, but wisely gives her some time to herself. Staring at the rainbow-colored pinata hanging in the barn, Manuela remembers Abuela's advice to "fill it with daydreams" until it is time for Papa to fill it with sweets for her party. She dreams of the gifts she would like to give each member of her family: more chicks and eggs for her mother; rain for her father, a farmer; and a horse for tired Abuela to ride. The young girl imagines the gifts falling from the pinata, but realizes that like the beautiful yellow dress of her dreams, they are out of her reach. Through her thinking, she comes to understand the love and care that went into her "new" dress. The fluid, rhythmic text is well matched by large, brightly colored, primitive paintings, perfect for sharing. Similar in message to Antonio Madrigal's Erandi's Braids (Putnam, 1999), this affecting story speaks to the consummate importance of family ties.
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Reviews from: BOOKLIST

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

A girl hopes for a yellow party dress in Manuela's Gift by Claire B. Cotts. With drought in the land, times are hard in Manuela's village, and her birthday gift is a reworked hand-me-down, sadly, in blue. How she comes to terms with disappointment makes for an illustrative story.

The fluid, rhythmic text is well matched by large, brightly colored, primitive paintings, perfect for sharing.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811820858
• ISBN-13: 978-0811820851
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,248,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter loves this book!, October 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Manuela's Gift (Hardcover)

This book is just beautiful. I thought the story was great and the pictures incredible. My little girl can stare at them for hours.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from Kirkus Reviews, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Manuela's Gift (Hardcover)

"In this impressive first effort from two newcomers, Manuela longs for a new yellow dress for her birthday."

"The text is gentle, a fine contrast to the striking paintings in gold, aqua, terra cotta, and green, which use decorative patterns to capture the flavor of Mexico and strong portraiture to show the loving relationships in the family. The images are so compelling that readers will want more time to savor them before the tension in the text forces them forward."