The Star of Nochebuena / La estrella de Nochebuena
Written by Karla Arenass Valenti, Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
Magic golden sunlight has brought to life many of the Nochebuena decorations–including a sugar figurine of a girl. Together, the decorations and figurines dance and enjoy a fun night–that is, until they accidentally topple over the cake. With not much time until the baker wakes up, they all work together to fix their mess. In the end, it was a great Nochebuena and the bakery was filled with magic.
This was a story I had never heard before and found it mesmerizing. I loved it! And I love that it also comes in Spanish as well, so it’s a great addition to any library that also has a Spanish section (or not, because it is great in English as well 🙂.)English Edition Reviewed by Chelsea Johnson, Librarian, William Penn Elementary
Review shared in October 2023
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Kindergarten-2nd Grade
Esperanza Caramelo is a cute book in Spanish about a sugar doll that comes to life on “nochebuena.” She and the other sugar dolls come to life and dance and have a great time, until the cat ruins their cake. The dolls work together to put everything back together so it is beautiful again for the family for Navidad. It is a fun read with colorful, bright pictures. I am always looking for good pictures books in Spanish to add to our elementary library, and this will be a welcome addition.
Reviewed by Heather B Arauzo, Librarian, Granger Elementary
Review shared in November 2023
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-3
Author’s book webpage with resources and activities: https://karlavalenti.com/books/esperanza-caramelo-espanol/
Esperanza Caramelo: The Star of Nochebuena
Written by Karla Arenass Valenti, Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
Alfred A. Knopf
40 pages
Release Date: September 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593705018 (English Edition) / 9780593705018 (Spanish Edition)
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
