The Three Golden Oranges

by Alma Flor Ada, Reg Cartwright (Illustrator)

Three brothers desire different types of wives and so seek the advice of a wise old woman who tells them that their wishes can be granted if they are able to pick the correct oranges off the special tree and bring them to her.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Folklore, Cultural, Folk Tales, Family, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

(http://facebook.com/almaflorada)

Dr. Ada was the founder and First Editor in Chief of :
NABE, Journal of the National Association for Bilingual Education

She has been active for many years in various professional associations including : IRA, International Reading Association
CRA, California Reading Association
CABE, California Association for Bilingual Education
USIBBY, US Branch of the International Board of Books for Young People

She is a member of :
Advisory Board of Loose Leaf Public Radio Programs
National Television Workshop
Between the Lines
Reading Up!, Natural Head Start Association

A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Dr. Ada also works in school districts with children, teachers and parents.

The award-winning author of numerous children’s books and a prolific translator, Alma Flor Ada is a leading mentor and philosopher of bilingual education in the United States.

She has authored several reading programs, among them two Spanish reading programs :
Cielo abierto (K-6)
Vamos de fiesta! (K-3)

and of two English reading programs :
Signatures (K-6)
Collections (K- 6)

and is a series consultant for Relatos de la historia (1-5), a Spanish social studies program developed by Harcourt School Publishers.

Among her most substantive contributions to the transmission of Hispanic culture to children are :
Música amiga, a program for learning through songs, published by Del Sol Books
Puertas al Sol - Pathways to the Sun, published by Santillana
Latino poetry, Art, and Biographies for children, published by Santillana

Dr. Ada received her Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the Pontifical Catholic University of Lima, Perú and did post-doctoral research at Harvard University as a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute and a Fulbright Research Scholar.

Reviews

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.S. Lewis and Albert Einstein book encouraged reading children fairy tales. This story is another good reason why. Cause and affect (natural consequences) are apparent in this story. No obedience, no woman! 😉. Very cute tale!

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This traditional folktale by Alma Flor Ada tells of three brothers in search of three brides. They seek the advice of an old village woman, and are told to stay together, go to the other side of the mountain, look for three golden oranges, and return them to her in perfect condition. The impatience and greed of the first two brothers doom their efforts to find rich and beautiful brides, but the righteous behavior of Mathias is rewarded in the end as he finds the bride of his dreams.

This is a version of the magical story of Blancaflor, a mythical young woman who appears in various stories throughout the Hispanic world. This traditional folktale can be compared and contrasted has elements of traditional fairy tales and wuld appeal to readers in the late primary and early intermediate grades. The stunning illustration are a striking compliment to the text and depict handsome characters in traditional dress. The story invites reader response as goodness and honesty are rewarded and deceit, greed, and foolishness are punished.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I loved this book:: As more and more people write about the need for diversity in literature I see this book, a fairy tale from Spain maybe filling some of the gap. We also need to save endangered culture’s fairy tales. And retelling of old legends and fairy tales is one good way to go. My husband works day and night to save endangered languages on his computer. Can I do no less in saving literature?



Just as this book was an entertaining story about brothers trying to work together and only the youngest having a clue on what was needed and how this might be translated into a nice bedtime story for preschoolers or the other younger set, I saw it’s further implications. It is diversity in literature. Speaking to the Spanish population of old.



What do you think? Do you think you would read it for it’s hidden agenda or for the bedtime story reason? Tell me of other books with diversity that might not be so obvious?

[Kaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three brothers set out on a journey to find wives and are sent with strict instructions to a castle. Two of the brothers have problems following these instructions, and everyone knows when you don't follow the advice given to you on a quest then you are doomed to failure. The story is a traditional Spanish tale about finding love as well as being generous and kind. The pictures in the book are all bright and colorful and while they give a cartoon-like representation the colors are what someone could realistically expect them to be. Some of the characters look very similar to each other which makes them a little hard for the reader to distinguish one from the others. The storyline is easy to read and tells an engaging tale. I would recommend this book for readers in grades 1-2.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love folktales for their ability to speak wisely to audiences of all ages and the depth of meaning hidden in the imagery. This retelling of the story of Blanaflor will have you pondering the times you have the choice to act based on your current desires or act based on a higher goal. Interesting comments from the author afterward about the background of the tale and the historical significance of the orange.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Three brothers go to the old woman to find wives. She asks them to perform certain tasks to get three oranges from a ree. They fail and turn against each other in the process. Tomas is the only one who ends up with a wife.

Reflection: Long pages, but great story. The vocabulary is fairly simple.

Themes/Connections: folklore, Spanish culture, family, brothers, deceit

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I'm totally drawn to books where siblings are total jerks to each other. Is this Only Child Syndrome? I have no clue.

I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you or order THE THREE GOLDEN ORANGES on IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978068...

[Ledys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in South America and I remember reading variants of this story when I was a girl. It was great to share this with my girls and revisit this part of my childhood through a lovely story. I'd be interested to trace the origins of this story and where the motifs are coming from, it was a delightful read with beautiful illustrations throughout.

[Samantha Penrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dont be greedy.
Dont be superficial.
Follow directions.
Be kind.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness prevails. Thank goodness. And thank goodness the mom was not hurt!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book to read to my students!

[RedRabbit13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

good memories from childhood lol

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love both the last line and the fact that things didn't work out perfectly for the undeserving.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

When their mother tells them she is ready to be a grandmother and that it is time they found wives in this Spanish folktale, three brothers seek the counsel of the wise old woman living on the cliff by the sea, for there were no marriageable women in their area. Advised to seek a castle surrounded by an orange grove, on the other side of the mountain, and to bring the three golden oranges they would find back to the old woman, the brothers set out. The elder two, Santiago and Tomás, ignored the woman's instruction to stick together, setting out on their own both on the journey out, and on the return. It was the youngest, Matías, who followed instructions, managing to pick the three oranges, free his brothers, and return with his orange to the old woman. Santiago and Tomás, by contrast, landed in the castle's dungeons twice. Because the oranges had been separated, Matías was denied his bride for a time, working in the fields while a sweet white dove comforted his mother. It was only when he freed the dove from a painful thorn that Matías finally found his bride, Blancaflor, who has been enchanted by a wizard, together with her two sisters (the other oranges) and her mother (the tree)...

I picked up The Three Golden Oranges with some anticipation, thinking that I already knew the story, and eager to see it presented in picture book form. After all, I had read and enjoyed Ralph Steele Boggs and Mary Gould Davis' collection, Three Golden Oranges and Other Spanish Folk Tales , in which the eponymous story chronicled how a young man found his bride through a similar quest. As it happens, the version presented here by author Alma Flor Ada and illustrator Reg Cartwright is somewhat different—to start with, it features three brothers rather than one—although it is clearly related. I greatly enjoyed this retelling, both from a storytelling perspective and from a visual, aesthetic one. So many classic folktale elements are here—the three brothers, of whom only the youngest is sincere and true; the quest for a bride or bridegroom; the enchanted heroine or hero, who must be freed by their intended spouse—and they are woven together into an engaging whole. I finished the book intrigued by the figure of Blancaflor, a young maiden enchanted into an orange who is apparently a well-known character in Spanish folklore and legend, appearing in numerous tales. The accompanying illustrations, done in oil paint, are expressive and engaging, with a beautiful palette of colors and a lovely folk sensibility. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking traditional tales from Spain.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of a traditional Spanish tale tells the story of three brothers Santiago, Tomas, and Matias who live with their mother on the family’s farm in a small town found between the mountains and the sea. The illustrations painted with the warm colors of red, terracotta, and gold portray an authentic mediterranean setting. This enchanting and unique story, which emphasizes the importance of acting honorably, appeals to children in first through fifth grade.

[Cambrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this traditional literature retelling of a Spanish folktale, Alma Flor Ada displays themes of honesty, hard work and obedience. My favorite part was at the end when the two women rejected Santiago and Tomas because they knew their desire for a wife was only superficial. I would use this in my future classroom to show different folktales, and this would be an example of a Spanish folktale.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember loving a version of this fairy tale when I was little. It was part of a collection of fairy tales.
Nice read aloud for my 5th grader.

[sammy lao · Rating 1 out of 5]

Missing last page

Last page is missing. We were not able to understand the story fully. Please include the last page of the book.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This folktale from Spain has some good ideas for people today regarding choosing a spouse. It’ never too early to teach about traits that make a good spouse. Probably this story would appeal to first to fourth graders. It is a story of three brothers and their quest to find a wife and their involvement with three oranges. Good read, perhaps even older children and teens need to hear this or read this title. I enjoyed it.