A Doll For Navidades

by Esmeralda Santiago, Enrique O. Sánchez (Illustrator)

Renowned Puerto Rican author Esmeralda Santiago remembers a poignant Christmas from her childhood in this heartwarming story of giving and understanding.

Las Navidades are coming. The house smells of cinnamon and coconut, crepe paper festoons the yard, and best of all, the Three Magi will soon bring presents to all the children. Esmeralda hopes they will bring her a baby doll. But instead, she receives something far more she experiences firsthand the magic of giving and the power of her family's love for her.

Esmeralda Santiago's resonant prose and Enrique Sanchez's vibrant illustrations make for a heartwarming tale to share with all children.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Childrens, Spanish Literature, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Esmeralda Santiago (born 1948 in San Juan, Puerto Rico). Is a renowned Puerto Rican author In 1961, she came to the United States when she was thirteen years old, the eldest in a family that would eventually include eleven children. Ms. Santiago attended New York City's Performing Arts High School, where she majored in drama and dance. After eight years of part-time study at community colleges, she transferred to Harvard University with a full scholarship. She studied film production and graduated in 1976 magna cum laude. Shortly after graduation, she and her husband, Frank Cantor, founded CANTOMEDIA, a film and media production company, which has won numerous awards for excellence in documentary filmmaking.

Her writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in national newspapers including the New York Times and the Boston Globe, and on mass market magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, and Good Housekeeping.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the illustrations get 5 stars from me, including the two (front and back) cover pictures. Lush and colorful and evocative; they’re lovely. I love all the details.

I found the story enjoyable overall, but it is hard for me to rate as it is based on the author’s and her sister’s actual experience when they were 7 and 5. How can I argue with that?! This is basically a true story. But I found myself arguing with it. I think the doll should have either been given as a shared gift or to the older girl, with the caveat that in 2 years, if there wasn’t enough money for the younger sister to have a new doll, that she would get the hand-me-down doll. 7 is not too old for a doll! I do like the way the sisters handled the situation. I did feel for the parents and their dilemma; their emotional distress did come through, as did their attempt to do the best with what they had, as did their love. I also felt sad that the baby doll was blonde and blue eyed and looked so different from the girls. But even when I was growing up, that’s the way it was in the U.S. There were no dolls that didn’t have a Caucasian appearance, and dolls with blue eyes and blonde hair were most prevalent.

I really enjoyed the way Spanish words are included within the story, and I appreciated the glossary of Spanish words in the back, though the way the story was clearly written, I didn’t find it absolutely necessary.

This is a wonderful story to read at Christmastime, especially for kids who might find it interesting how children celebrate the season in other cultures. It’s also a fine book for children who’ve experienced disappointment. It would be a perfect book to read with children who are in financially stable circumstances, who are well off, but who are not sufficiently appreciative of their good fortune.

I found the pig roasting tradition unpleasant, and almost laughed when that page was introduced and in the same picture there was a dog being fed a piece of food by a child. Ha! But most aren’t going to notice or be perturbed that quibble of mine, and, it was from an actual tradition so who can really argue. Ditto for me not being Christian and not celebrating Christmas in the same way as the family in this story.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esmeralda Santiago, whose adult memoirs - When I Was Puerto Rican , Almost a Woman , The Turkish Lover - have won such acclaim, makes her children's book debut with this engaging holiday story set in Puerto Rico. Based on an incident in the author's own childhood, A Doll for Navidades follows its young narrator as she celebrates the Christmas season with her family: the preparation of special food, the strolling bands of night-time carolers - known as parrandas, these bands of carolers would move from house to house, singing aguinaldos (Christmas songs) in exchange for treats - the celebration of midnight mass on Nochebeuna, and the anticipation of El Día de Los Tres Reyes Magos, when the Three Kings bring children the gifts they have requested. Will Navidades be ruined when Esmeralda doesn't receive the baby doll for which she has been longing, but her younger sister does...?

A engaging tale that explores a childhood Christmas experience - not getting the gift for which one hoped - that is quite common in real life, but too infrequently depicted in holiday stories, A Doll for Navidades is a touching family story. I particularly appreciated the exchange between Esmeralda and her father, in which it will be evident to readers that the family can't afford two dolls, even though Esmeralda herself does not understand. Her eventual reconciliation to reality, when she realizes that her father is as distressed as she, reminded me of how fraught an issue holiday gift-giving can be, when the family budget is stretched tight, and how sensitive children can sometimes be, in the face of such difficulties. I also appreciated the glimpses of Puerto Rican Christmas customs that are offered here - the parrandas, with their aguinaldos, El Día de Los Tres Reyes Magos, with its gift-giving tradition - making this as educational a tale as it is entertaining. Recommended to young readers looking for Christmas stories with a Puerto Rican setting, or for engaging family stories in general.

[Emelda · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, any excuse to use what little Spanish I absorbed as a child I try to take. And I totally throw a Three Kings' Day party every year, so I grabbed this book quickly. This should have been a great way to start a conversation about how people celebrate Christmas different ways (and talk about Puerto Rico!). But I wouldn't read it to my kids because of one reason: the object of affection is this super white, blonde haired, and blue eyed baby doll and I'm super bothered by the white euro-centric standard of beauty going on here. It may be a true story, but can't we change the (beautiful) illustrations a bit? Tweak the story? Kids learn to worship beauty standards through media like this, and black/brown/non-white dolls are just as worthy of affections.

[Lauren Duffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my 7 year old daughter leading up to Christmas. I like to read her books about many different cultures. The pros to this book were the illustrations and the cultural information. The downside is the story is kind of depressing and it doesn’t have a typical happy ending. Not really what you expect in a Christmas book.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yea... check out the doll experiment. No thank you. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...

[Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleyna said the dialogue between siblings was realistic :)

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to include for diversity text sets. Includes Sspanish and English words, with a Spanish glossary. The beginning of the book starts off with a baby doll with blue eyes, reminding me of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye.

[Josianne Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful and the depiction of Navidades reminds me of my own Caribbean Christmases, but the story doesn't resolve in a satisfying manner. Lots of beautiful build up and then it falls a little flat.

[Yulidy Decena]

This is good to help children learn to be grateful for what (santa) or the 3 wise man bring you. Loved the story because she didn't get what she wanted and that is how it is sometimes.