I really liked this book for two main reasons. I liked the language of the story and the plot. I really liked the words that the author used to write this story. The language was very descriptive and clear. But also, the author wrote a few words in Spanish and then had the English word right after. For example, on page 14 it says: “Mira y recuerda. Watch and remember.” Also, on page 18 it says: “Hermosos” said Senor Rdodlfo, “Lovely.” The language of the text was also a way for students to learn very basic Spanish words. I really liked how the author did this because it helped to show the culture of the main character, Rosalinda. I also liked the plot of the story. The plot was suspenseful and I never know what was going to happen next. The plot was suspenseful when she saw someone stealing her lemons and a few days later she saw him selling them. I loved how the plot made me want to keep reading, I was very interested in what was going to happen next. I think the main message of this story is that we should help those in need. Rosalinda could have gotten that man in trouble for stealing her lemons, but instead, she gave him a lemon to plant a tree of his own. This was a big action for such a young child to take, but it gave a great message to the reader.

This simple tale of human compassion helps children see two conflicting sides of a situation. One night young Rosalinda wakes up to a "Wsss--shhh--snap!" outside. She slips out of bed and discovers that a man is stuffing lemons into a cloth sack! To make matters worse, by the end of the week her lemon tree is very sick. As she wanders through the Mexican countryside seeking tree-healing advice, she sees the mysterious Night Man at the mercado--and he is selling her beautiful limones! She summons the help of La Anciana, a wise old woman with gentle eyes, and it is finally she who provides a creative solution that helps Rosalinda, cures her lemon tree and gives hope to the Night Man who stole Rosalinda’s lemons.

Cause and Effect would be the first thing that I would try to teach with this book. It is such a beautiful multicultural folktale, and it would be a great way to reach ELLs. ( )

This book is about a little girl and her lemon tree. Rosalinda saw a man at night stealing the lemons from her tree. She loved her tree and was worried because all the lemons were picked and the tree started to get “sick.” Desperate for answers, Rosalinda searched for La Anciana. La Anciana is an old, wise woman with gentle eyes whose powers could help the lemon tree grow tall and strong. As Rosalinda searched for this wise woman, she went to the market and saw the man who had stolen her lemons. The wise woman appeared to Rosalinda and told her it was wrong for someone to take her lemons, but perhaps he needed them. La Anciana gave Rosalinda a small branch to heal the tree and did as she instructed. It worked. By the next morning the tree was filled with lemons and Rosalinda shared them with all her friends and neighbors. She headed to the market with one lemon left and gave it to the Night Man who had stolen her lemons. This story of generosity shows Rosalinda true colors. She could have been angry at the Night Man, but instead she chose to share her fattest lemon with him and even told him to plant the seeds. She knew that he needed it more than she did. After she gave him the lemon, she left market satisfied knowing that she made the right choice. Rosalinda was able to put someone’s needs before her animosity. ( )

I liked this book because it had very nice illustrations. This book is written in both English and Spanish and some Spanish words are mixed into the text.This book promoted a positive message about forgiveness and helping others out. I also think that children would enjoy the interesting pictures that go along with the story. This book would also be good to use during a read aloud so the students can hear how some of the Spanish words are pronounced.