The Last Slice: A Three Kings Day Treat

by Melissa Seron Richardson, Monica Arnaldo (Illustrator)

A holiday tale about the highs and lows of eating one very special Three Kings Day the Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread with a figurine of the baby Jesus hidden inside!

Marta is finally old enough for her own slice of the special, sneaky dessert she loves so much—la Rosca de Reyes.

The colorful crown of sweet bread is so tempting, but Marta knows the truth—there’s a baby hiding in the cake - el Niño Dios. Marta can’t help but wonder what will happen if she accidentally eats the little figurine of baby Jesus. 

Suddenly, Marta will do whatever it takes to avoid picking the last slice of la rosca—no matter how badly she wants a bite! 

Genres: Picture Books, Holiday, Christmas, Food, Childrens, Humor, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[kessa (taylor's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Melissa

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little girl is horrified when her family says she is old enough to have her own slice of la Rosca de Reyes, the Three Kings sweet bread. She really wants it, but what if she accidentally eats the baby Jesus hidden inside? Wouldn’t that be a horrible catastrophe with all sorts of consequences?!?

I had to work hard to not laugh out loud while reading this during school hours in the library today. I can totally see this being a real fear of a child (and it sounds like it was based on the author’s worries as a child based on her note in the back). I love how the story shares the holiday traditions of Three Kings Day and the back of the book talks more about the symbolism of the treat and how it represents baby Jesus being hidden from Herod and the dangers he faced and other things. It sounds like a very rich celebration symbolically, and in family memories based on the author and illustrator’s notes in the back. I loved that I was greatly entertained and learned several things from this book. Just one note of heads up, some Spanish vocabulary is used in the book without any translation so readers may need help understanding some bits or they can practice using context clues to figure those words out.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is Three Kings Day and Marta is very excited. The tradition in her family is to share La Rosca De Reyes. That is a delicious colorful sweet bread. But as Marta shares, it is also sinister because inside the bread there is a hidden baby Jesus figurine. This year, Marta is big enough to have her own slice of bread. In the past, she has always just nibbled her mom's slice. And Marta is terrified that she will swallow Baby Jesus! How does Marta overcome her fears?

This is a great book on many levels. First it talks about family and traditions. It's a great introduction to the celebration of the Three Kings who brought gifts to Baby Jesus, celebrated in many countries around the world on January 6th. Second, it talks about fears and overcoming them in a fun way! The author and illustrator both include notes at the end of the story and a further explanation of the traditions surrounding the holiday. There's a lot of meaning behind the bread that I never realized. And, of course, right now in New Orleans (and even in my local market here in Texas), you can find King Cake to celebrate Epiphany! What fun to read the story and share some King Cake to go along with it.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this book. The story and backmatter impart a good deal of information about the Feast of the Three Kings, but Marta, our narrator puts a humorous, suspenseful spin on the tradition of La Rosca de Reyes. Marta's biggest fear is accidentally swallowing the Niño Dios, the tiny toy baby hidden in the cake. For me, what makes the book not just humorous, but downright hilarious, are the illustrations. From Abuelo's untrimmed eyebrows (and nose hairs, and ear hairs) to the very distressed Virgin Mary (after Marta imagines swallowing the baby), there are treats on every page. The funniest character of all, though, is the Niño Dios, spotted throughout the book sporting various impish facial expressions. A wonderful, funny addition to our growing collection of books depicting holiday traditions that have been underrepresented in picture books in the past.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

This year Marta gets to have her own slice of the special desert her family makes every year on Three Kings Day, la Rosca de Reyes. But what happens if her slice has the Baby Jesus, and she swallows it? Or if she doesn’t eat it, will she be stuck in her chair forever? I loved learning about this holiday and had a very similar feeling of dread the first time I had a slice of bûche de noël, a French Christmas cake which also can have a Baby Jesus in it. This funny, relatable book is all about learning your family’s culture and learning how to try to not be afraid to try new things. A great book for those who celebrate Three Kings Day and for those who are learning about it for the first time.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am actively obsessed with this picture book. Look at Marta's face on the cover of this book and you will see why. Tell me how the author is able to write a picture book teaching about Three Kings Day traditions, integrating Latine culture, that is also humorous and charming. The illustrations play a big role in that too. They are charming and humorous without being too big. The facial expressions, especially from Marta, are key in helping to convey the tone of this delightful picture book. I can't think of another Three Kings Day picture book, but even if I could think of a thousand -- this one would be my favorite. A sweet delight.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful picture book that focuses on a family's custom of celebrating Three Kings Day by hiding a baby Jesus in a rosca, a ringed shaped sweet bread. Now that Marta is old enough to get her own slice of the rosca, she's nervous about getting her own slice. Marta's fear is that she will accidentally eat the baby and ruin the holiday. The lively illustrations and text are humorous while still depicting a wonderfully loving family and their cherished traditions. A must-read picture book for celebrating Three Kings Day! Also don't miss the additional information at the back!

[Sherrema Oom-Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marta is finally old enough to have her own slice of la Rosca de Reyes, a cake made especially to celebrate Three Kings Day. This is a Roman Catholic holiday that takes place on January 6 to culminate the 12 Days of Christmas. Marta, however, is very nervous; hidden in one of the slices is a small figure of Baby Jesus. Will she get the mystery slice? And if she does, will she accidentally swallow Baby Jesus?? For anyone who ever puzzled over religious rituals, especially concerning food, this book is for you.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little girl tries as best as she can to stay away from the mouth watering three kings day treat. She's afraid of accidentally eating the Ninos Dios. If that happens, then there won't be any tamales and will the Ninos Dios grow in her belly?!

This is just the cutest read on the Mexican tradition. I could totally understand this little girl's fears of accidentally eating the little baby figure. I laughed outloud at the page of her sitting on the couch with her abuelo and his white hairs growing out of his ears and nose.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is cute and funny, and I love how smoothly it introduces the main character's culture. The story conveys key details about Three Kings Day through an engaging plot, the illustrations are lovely, and there's more information about the holiday in the back. There are also heartwarming notes from the author and illustrator about their families and traditions.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story about the Rosca de Reyes served on Three Kings Day. Marta is nervous about accidentally eating the little Nino Dios that is hiding in the cake. The pictures are hilarious, and the introduction of the holiday is just right. It might just inspire a few more celebrants baking some Rosca de Reyes cake!

The grandpa was my favorite. SO FUNNY! Highly recommend this one.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious depiction of the anxiety of accidentally biting into the baby Jesus hidden in, La Rosca de Reyes. Marta is so scared that that’s exactly what she is going to do she refuses to take a slice of the gorgeous crown of sweet bread that celebrates the Three Kings Day festivities.

Highly recommend!

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marta loves Three Kings Day and the delicious sweet bread that her family serves for the holiday. However, la Rosca de Reyes is a sneaky dessert because a baby Jesus (el Nino Dias) is hidden inside. This year Marta is old enough to receive her own slice of bread but she's afraid she'll swallow the baby. This is a humorous story that explores tradition and the importance of family and faith.

[Abbigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute picture book about a little girl who is afraid to eat her own slice of rosca during Three Kings Day. Really glad we added this one to the collection because we didn't have much at all about this holiday. Great extra information in the backmatter.

[Ollie Skyba · Rating 4 out of 5]

We learned about the tradition of eating Three Kings Cake at Epiphany, also known as Rosca de Reyes. Mmm, I'd love to try the soft, rich dough shaped like a wreath and filled with cinnamon, nuts, dried fruits and citrus zest.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could feel the fear that Marta had about the possibility of swallowing the Baby Jesus! It was endearing and hilarious, and I know kids will love it! I loved learning about Three Kings Day and la Rosca de Reyes too!

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Kings Day is celebrated by many communities around the world on January 6th. This book was adorable and made me laugh, since the little girl is afraid she will swallow the Baby Jesus figure hidden in the cake.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super cute and fun introduction to Three Kings Day through the eyes of Marta, our young protagonist. I love that you learn about the holiday but also have a great deal of humor in Marta’s fears about eating baby Jesus. A charming large Latine family sings off the page too.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marta is excited to celebrate Three Kings Day and eat the traditional La Rosca de Reyes except for one thing...she's afraid of swallowing The Nino Dios hidden inside! I love learning about new holidays and traditions and this is a funny but sweet story about this beautiful holiday.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun celebration of--or introduction to--the Latina tradition of hiding a little plastic baby Jesus in the pan de la rosca for Three Kings’ Day (Jan 6). The vibrant, humorously dramatic characters make it a memorable story.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sweet. I don’t quite understand why the little girl was so terrified on swallowing the baby Jesus (wouldn’t she notice?!) but it definitely took you on an emotional journey. Engaging introduction to this Christmastime tradition. Colorful and engaging illustrations.

[Hannah]

This has Too Many Tamales vibes in the best way.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny picture book explaining the king cake tradition on The Feast of the Three Kings/Epiphany.

[Kelly]

Great undies. I think this is a good book that talks about the tradition and gets into very real fears of eating baby Jesus - does both at the same time.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story and adorable pictures.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved learning about three kings day!

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marta is old enough to get her own slice of King Cake but she's anxious that she's going to accidentally swallow the baby Jesus. The art is pretty good.

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorbs!

[Mary Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. I like how it highlights a beloved family tradition and does it effectively from a child's point of view.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable