Rosa

by Leo Politi

Rosa was a little Mexican girl. Every day after school, she went to the toy store. There in the window was a beautiful doll which Rosa longed to have. Then on Christmas Eve, something wonderful happened and Rosa's wish came true in a very special way.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas

30 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Leo Politi was born in California and spent most of his childhood in Italy. He was an artist and children's book author. He was especially drawn toward Mexican themes.

Reviews

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caldecott honor
Similar Christmas picture books : The Gift of the Christmas Cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall; An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco; Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck; Annikas Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis; The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski; A Christmas Dress for Ellen by Thomas S. Monson; and Rosa by Leo Politi.

[Joselyn Guizar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story about a young Mexican girl named Rosa. The author does a great job creating a story about the background of Rosa and the village she grew up in. The pictures are very detailed and the colors are beautiful.

[Capn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a kid and never, ever forgot it. Tracked it down again decades later. Beautiful, dreamy - a time gone by. Find it, treasure it.

[Krislyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a sweet story with a sweet ending. I really appreciated that the ending wasn’t quite what I expected and that Rosa had a real love for her siblings in the book.

[Yara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most treasured books. Leo Politi (the author-illustrator) came to my elementary school in the middle of the Mojave Desert, which truly feels like the middle of nowhere, and filled the first page with a beautiful dedication.

[Nathaniel Pearlman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to Brancusi. Lots of good pictures and dense well-written 36 page intro.