About This Book

In this retelling of an old Mexican folktale about the origin of poinsettias, Lucida and her mother work tirelessly to weave a blanket for the baby Jesus to wear in the town's nativity celebration. When Lucida's mother gets sick, Lucida tries to finish the blanket herself but ends up ruining it beyond repair. She is so ashamed of her failure that she hides at the church service on Christmas Eve. An old woman approaches Lucida and tells her that "any gift is beautiful because it is given." Hearing these words, Lucida places weeds around the manger and suddenly they turn into "flaming red stars," or poinsettias.

In this book built around a beautiful message and illustrations, which wonderfully complement the story, young readers are led to understand the true meaning of gift- giving. Celebrated author and illustrator Tomie dePaolo does an excellent job of breathing new life into this legend, creating a sweet and heartwarming book for young readers.

About the Authors or Illustrators

Tomie dePaola

Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1934. At age 4, he knew he wanted to become a writer and an illustrator. His mother was an avid book lover and read to him and his brother often. As a child, dePaola would illustrate the books his mother read to him.

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