Esperanza Caramelo, the Star of Nochebuena
by Karla Arenas Valenti; illus. by Elisa Chavarri
Preschool, Primary    Knopf    40 pp.
9/23    9780593488676    $18.99
Library ed.  9780593488683    $21.99
e-book ed.  9780593488690    $10.99
Spanish ed.  9780593705018    $18.99

It’s Nochebuena eve in the pastelería, “a night when wonder reigns, for those who believe in magic.” In Nutcracker-like fashion, Esperanza, a sugar figurine, is brought to life and proceeds to wake up the rest of the characters adorning a Christmas-tree cake. When a mischievous cat knocks down the intricate dessert, the figurines work together to re-bake it. With mixed-media illustrations that seem to shimmer with sugar and fairy dust (and an appended note about the author’s grandmother’s real-life sugar creations), this book is sure to satisfy any reader’s sweet tooth. Concurrently published in Spanish as Esperanza Caramelo, la estrella de Nochebuena.

From the November/December 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.