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Estrellita de oro / Little Gold Star
In this Cinderella tale from the Southwest, each of the sisters has an encounter with a magical hawk, but the heroine is kind to the bird and receives a gold star on her forehead. Her spiteful stepsisters go in search of their own gold stars but are rewarded with a donkey’s ear and a cow’s horn. You can imagine which sister the prince marries! The cloth version is in its third printing with more than 15,000 sold. Joe Hayes (Santa Fe, New Mexico) is one of America’s premier storytellers. Nationally acclaimed for her folkloric style, Gloria Perez died of cancer before completing the illustrations, but she passed the task to her daughter Lucia Angela Perez (Fort Worth, Texas). The transition is wonderfully seamless.
32 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2000
About the author
Joe Hayes
68 books29 followersDesignated New Mexico Eminent Scholar by the New Mexico Commission on Higher Learning (1979).
Joe was the youngest of five children. His father loved to tell stories. The family moved to Arizona where Joe learned to speak Spanish which became an integral part of his storytelling and writing.
In 1979, he began to devote himself full time to sharing stories. He focuses on elementary school audiences although his work appeals to a wide range of ages.
In 2001, he traveled to Cuba participate in a translation workshop sponsored by Writers of the Americas.
For children and adults alike, Joe's storytelling sessions outside the tepee at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe are a summer tradition that has continued for over 25 years.
Other facts:
*Youngest of five children
*Graduated from University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
*Taught at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona and also in Los Alamos, NM.
*Employed in mineral exploration work, working all over the western U.S. as well as in Mexico and Spain.
*Delivered the Commencement address at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at U.C.L.A.
*Currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Joe was the youngest of five children. His father loved to tell stories. The family moved to Arizona where Joe learned to speak Spanish which became an integral part of his storytelling and writing.
In 1979, he began to devote himself full time to sharing stories. He focuses on elementary school audiences although his work appeals to a wide range of ages.
In 2001, he traveled to Cuba participate in a translation workshop sponsored by Writers of the Americas.
For children and adults alike, Joe's storytelling sessions outside the tepee at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe are a summer tradition that has continued for over 25 years.
Other facts:
*Youngest of five children
*Graduated from University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
*Taught at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona and also in Los Alamos, NM.
*Employed in mineral exploration work, working all over the western U.S. as well as in Mexico and Spain.
*Delivered the Commencement address at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at U.C.L.A.
*Currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 23, 2020
Presented in both English and Spanish, this folktale from New Mexico follows the story of Arcía, the kindhearted daughter of a widowed sheepherder. Convincing her father to marry their neighbor, also widowed, she soon regrets the change in her familiar circumstances, as Margarita begins to mistreat her, and to favor her own biological daughters. When her sheep's wool is stolen by a hawk one day, while she is washing it at the local stream, Arcía's politeness to the avian thief wins her a reward, in the form of a little golden star on her forehead. Although this makes her stepsisters jealous, when those two girls attempt to win a star themselves, they are rude and contemptuous, rather than polite, and find themselves with a donkey ear and a cow horn on their foreheads instead of a star. As for Arcía, her bright star eventually attracts the attention of a nearby prince, who comes looking for her, after he gets a glimpse of her at his party...
This is the second retelling of this folktale that I have read in picture-book form, following upon Robert D. San Souci's Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale . Unlike that other story, which features the figure of the Virgin Mary, Estrellita de oro / Little Gold Star: A Cinderella Cuento utilizes a hawk to reward the heroine with her lovely gold star. It's interesting to note that the two books were published the same year (2000), and that, according to author Joe Hayes' note, it is more common for this story to include the Virgin Mary, than not. This made me wonder why Hayes chose to use another variant - was he aware of the San Souci project, and wanting to set his version apart? According to his note, he was most influenced by the retelling of the tale found in Aurora Lucero-White's Literary Folklore of the Hispanic Southwest , so perhaps the explanation is simply that this version had a hawk, rather than the Virgin Mary.
Leaving aside issues of source material and variant, I enjoyed the story here, and I appreciated that it was presented in both English and Spanish. This is something that Joe Hayes is known for, and that I also appreciated in his wonderful Pajaro Verde / The Green Bird . I will have to try to track down more of his work! The accompanying artwork is lovely, created in a folk style using a vivid color palette. I found the back story behind the illustrations, discussed in the rear dust-jacket blurb, quite moving. Apparently the first three paintings were done by Gloria Osuna Pérez, who then became ill with ovarian cancer, in the midst of the project. Her daughter and caregiver, Lucía Ángela Pérez, also an artist, then stepped in and completed the work, under her mother's instruction. I'm sure this was a labor of love for both of them, and I found that information quite poignant. This is one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts, to readers seeking Cinderella variants from around the world, and to those interested in the Hispanic folklore of the American Southwest.
This is the second retelling of this folktale that I have read in picture-book form, following upon Robert D. San Souci's Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale . Unlike that other story, which features the figure of the Virgin Mary, Estrellita de oro / Little Gold Star: A Cinderella Cuento utilizes a hawk to reward the heroine with her lovely gold star. It's interesting to note that the two books were published the same year (2000), and that, according to author Joe Hayes' note, it is more common for this story to include the Virgin Mary, than not. This made me wonder why Hayes chose to use another variant - was he aware of the San Souci project, and wanting to set his version apart? According to his note, he was most influenced by the retelling of the tale found in Aurora Lucero-White's Literary Folklore of the Hispanic Southwest , so perhaps the explanation is simply that this version had a hawk, rather than the Virgin Mary.
Leaving aside issues of source material and variant, I enjoyed the story here, and I appreciated that it was presented in both English and Spanish. This is something that Joe Hayes is known for, and that I also appreciated in his wonderful Pajaro Verde / The Green Bird . I will have to try to track down more of his work! The accompanying artwork is lovely, created in a folk style using a vivid color palette. I found the back story behind the illustrations, discussed in the rear dust-jacket blurb, quite moving. Apparently the first three paintings were done by Gloria Osuna Pérez, who then became ill with ovarian cancer, in the midst of the project. Her daughter and caregiver, Lucía Ángela Pérez, also an artist, then stepped in and completed the work, under her mother's instruction. I'm sure this was a labor of love for both of them, and I found that information quite poignant. This is one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts, to readers seeking Cinderella variants from around the world, and to those interested in the Hispanic folklore of the American Southwest.
February 4, 2011
Written bilingually in Spanish and English, Estrellita de Oro/Little Gold Star is a Spanish-American tale, very popular in the mountain communities of New Mexico. Unlike popular versions of the Cinderella tale, the main character, Arcía, convinces her father to marry the next door neighbor, Margarita. Shortly thereafter, Margarita and her two daughters move in and treat Arcía poorly. Because of Arcía’s dedication to care for her sheep, a gift from her father, and the kindness that she shows to a hawk, she is rewarded with a gold star on her forehead. Her stepsisters are jealous, and work to earn a gold star from the hawk too, however, because of their rude ways, they are given a donkey ear and a green cow horn to adorn on their foreheads. And like the original fairy tale, Arcía earns her happily ever after with a handsome prince. The pictures, with are full and rich with color, complement the text of the story, at times very hilariously. I read this story after reading another Spanish-American Cinderella tale, Little Gold Star by Robert D. San Souci. The two stories have many parallels and differences. One contrast is that San Souci’s version incorporates some religious elements, such as the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. When sharing Cinderella tales with students, from grades K-5, this would be a great addition to the collection of tales.
August 7, 2022
This book was a very interesting alternative rewrite of the Cinderella story. The story is written in Spanish and English and the characters are black Latin people. The illustrations and glorious and beautiful with such interesting characters and facial expressions. It was basically the Cinderella story but in my opinion too wordy and long-winded. It could have been told in a simpler style and made more enjoyable. That way readers could spend more time enjoying the delectable picture instead of slogging through the over-wordy text.
July 15, 2022
This was a very sweet story. I think the story was based off Cinderella. The two stories do have some similarities, like two evil stepsister's and a stepmother. Over all it is a decent story and it's also in Spanish which I like.
May 22, 2020
This book is based on the Cinderella story that shows family conflict and interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 10, 2025Based on New Mexico versions of Cinderella.
September 19, 2022
I liked this book. This is about a girl named Arcia that lives in a village. She loves her neighbor and one day she asks her dad if she can marry the neighbor. At first he says no but then he finally said yes. They get married and they move in together. At first she is nice but then the neighbor is mean to her. One day Arcia gets a star on her head and the neighbor gets jealous.
February 11, 2017
“Estrellita de oro/Little Gold Star” is a Spanish version of Cinderella. On each page of this book, the text is written in both English and Spanish. This book tells the story of a young women, Arcía, and her experiences as her father marries Margarita. Arcía now has two step sisters, who are treated far better than she is. Arcía’s father brings home three sheep, for the three daughters. Arcía takes great care of her sheep, and due to her kindness, is rewarded with a gold star on her forehead. Her two stepsisters are not so kind and do not work as hard, and are rewarded with a donkey ear and a cow horn on their heads. As the town's prince is looking for a wife, Arcía is chosen because of her beautiful gold star.
At the end of this book, the author has provided a page about the origin of this story, and how it is derived from the collection of folktales from the Hispanic Southwest. This book would be ideal to use in classrooms with 2nd-4th graders, who speak Spanish and English, or are learning one of the languages. By having the text in both languages, students are supported, and could independently read through this book, by using the language supports to work through unknown words. This text would be great to use for determining the theme of a text, or comparing and contrasting different versions of Cinderella. Readers would find the illustrations simple, but they help the reader further understand the story being read.
At the end of this book, the author has provided a page about the origin of this story, and how it is derived from the collection of folktales from the Hispanic Southwest. This book would be ideal to use in classrooms with 2nd-4th graders, who speak Spanish and English, or are learning one of the languages. By having the text in both languages, students are supported, and could independently read through this book, by using the language supports to work through unknown words. This text would be great to use for determining the theme of a text, or comparing and contrasting different versions of Cinderella. Readers would find the illustrations simple, but they help the reader further understand the story being read.
February 6, 2012
Text Summary
Arcia begs her father to marry their kind neighbor, Margarita, now that Arcia’s mother has passed on. At first Arcia’s father is hesitant because he believes Margarita will change from kind to mean; although, he eventually gives in to his daughter’s pleading and marries Margarita. However, just as Arcia’s father predicted, while he is away in the mountains tending his sheep, Margarita becomes mean and treats Arcia poorly. Arcia is even forced to give up her room and sleep in the kitchen to accommodate all of her stepsisters’ belongings. Later, on one chance encounter with a magical hawk, Arcia is bestowed the gift of a little gold star (estrellita de oro), which brings Arcia to meet her prince charming.
Literary Merits
On each page of this vividly illustrated picture book, Joe Hayes has interpreted his Cinderella story in both English and Spanish. Hayes draws inspiration for the book from traditional versions of the Cinderella tale from communities of New Mexico. In his Author’s Section at the end of the book, Hayes notes, “All the traditional versions influenced my treatment of the tale, but I especially relied on that of Aurora Lucero White Lea in Literary Folklore of the Hispanic Southwest.” Along with representing two languages in the book, Hayes includes folk expressions and elements of the “old cuentos,” such as ending the story with a little verse, to enrich the reading experiences of his audience members.
Classroom Recommendations
This text can span a range of grade levels and serve various purposes. I would recommend this book for ages 5 and up. This would be a great text for younger readers who are learning English or Spanish, as students may probably already be familiar with the “Cinderella” themes in the story. So, with this knowledge, it may be easier for them to comprehend the story in the language they are learning and practicing. This text can also work well for older students who are engaging in a unit on folktales/fairy tales from various cultures. Likewise, high school students who are just learning Spanish or English may find this text to be a non-threatening way of delving into various themes and content. Themes include: family relationships, respect toward others, love, etc.
Arcia begs her father to marry their kind neighbor, Margarita, now that Arcia’s mother has passed on. At first Arcia’s father is hesitant because he believes Margarita will change from kind to mean; although, he eventually gives in to his daughter’s pleading and marries Margarita. However, just as Arcia’s father predicted, while he is away in the mountains tending his sheep, Margarita becomes mean and treats Arcia poorly. Arcia is even forced to give up her room and sleep in the kitchen to accommodate all of her stepsisters’ belongings. Later, on one chance encounter with a magical hawk, Arcia is bestowed the gift of a little gold star (estrellita de oro), which brings Arcia to meet her prince charming.
Literary Merits
On each page of this vividly illustrated picture book, Joe Hayes has interpreted his Cinderella story in both English and Spanish. Hayes draws inspiration for the book from traditional versions of the Cinderella tale from communities of New Mexico. In his Author’s Section at the end of the book, Hayes notes, “All the traditional versions influenced my treatment of the tale, but I especially relied on that of Aurora Lucero White Lea in Literary Folklore of the Hispanic Southwest.” Along with representing two languages in the book, Hayes includes folk expressions and elements of the “old cuentos,” such as ending the story with a little verse, to enrich the reading experiences of his audience members.
Classroom Recommendations
This text can span a range of grade levels and serve various purposes. I would recommend this book for ages 5 and up. This would be a great text for younger readers who are learning English or Spanish, as students may probably already be familiar with the “Cinderella” themes in the story. So, with this knowledge, it may be easier for them to comprehend the story in the language they are learning and practicing. This text can also work well for older students who are engaging in a unit on folktales/fairy tales from various cultures. Likewise, high school students who are just learning Spanish or English may find this text to be a non-threatening way of delving into various themes and content. Themes include: family relationships, respect toward others, love, etc.
October 11, 2008
This Cinderella cuento has been retold by Joe Hayes who has tried to include many of the details from the original told in the mountain communities of New Mexico. In this version, the story is told in Spanish and English in a parallel format with a distinctly contemporary tone supported by the vibrant illustrations. Some fascinating contrasts are that Arcia, the Cinderalla character, urges her father to marry the neighbor who eventually becomes the wicked character. A hawk is the "helper" who assumes the role of the fairy godmother, and bestows a glowing golden star on Arcia's foreheard when she is rewarded for her obedience and kindness. The evil stepsisters are each punished for their wickedness and disobedience by having the hawk disfigure their faces with a donkey tail and a horn! There are some poetic Spanish saying embedded in the English text that support the cultural ambience of the tale.
I was delighted to find this version containing the parallel language format. Since I work in a dual language school, I thought of how engaging this would be for readers of different first languages to share. The author's notes at the end gave me valuable background information which explained many of the unique elements of the traditional Hisopanic version. Also, the author chose never to use the word "stepmother" in the text as he sensitively states that the word has too great of a negative conotation for children in blended families.
I was delighted to find this version containing the parallel language format. Since I work in a dual language school, I thought of how engaging this would be for readers of different first languages to share. The author's notes at the end gave me valuable background information which explained many of the unique elements of the traditional Hisopanic version. Also, the author chose never to use the word "stepmother" in the text as he sensitively states that the word has too great of a negative conotation for children in blended families.
April 4, 2011
Like the The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story, this one starts out with the daughter begging him to marry and the father warning her that stepmothers often turn mean.
The twists of what happens made this a fun read. According to the author's notes, this is a blending of multiple local versions of the tale. He blended them into one he was comfortable telling. There are multiple versions of this tale, most with the girl receiving a gold star on her forehead.
I loved the rhyme at the end:
I came on a colt
and I'll leave on its mother.
If you liked this story,
then tell me another!
The story of the illustrator is a heart-warming one as well.
The twists of what happens made this a fun read. According to the author's notes, this is a blending of multiple local versions of the tale. He blended them into one he was comfortable telling. There are multiple versions of this tale, most with the girl receiving a gold star on her forehead.
I loved the rhyme at the end:
I came on a colt
and I'll leave on its mother.
If you liked this story,
then tell me another!
The story of the illustrator is a heart-warming one as well.
October 16, 2019
Summary: Very similar to the well-known story of "Cinderella." It had different names and slightly different details than “Cinderella,” but had the same story line and idea.
Evaluation: I loved how they had the Spanish version and the the English version next to each other so you can read the original with the other. It was really cool to be able to compare the two. I also liked how the story wasn’t exactly like the Cinderella story that we know so well.
Teaching Idea: You can teach your students to always be kind with this book. You can have your students come up with different endings to the book if they weren’t so mean in the book.
Evaluation: I loved how they had the Spanish version and the the English version next to each other so you can read the original with the other. It was really cool to be able to compare the two. I also liked how the story wasn’t exactly like the Cinderella story that we know so well.
Teaching Idea: You can teach your students to always be kind with this book. You can have your students come up with different endings to the book if they weren’t so mean in the book.
December 5, 2014
School Library Journal Review: "The telling, in both English and a charming colloquial Spanish, is crisp, lively and individual… The unique flavor of this retelling from the American Southwest makes this not only a good introduction to the teller’s art, but also an engaging entrée into Hispanic culture. An engaging telling of 'Cinderella' … in many ways more interesting than the original."
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for elementary grades, Kindergarten through second. I loved this book and how it had similarities to the traditional Cinderella story, yet had major differences that made it unique. I would use this book when learning about the Latino culture.
Grade level: K-3
Awards/Honors: None
Culture: Latino
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for elementary grades, Kindergarten through second. I loved this book and how it had similarities to the traditional Cinderella story, yet had major differences that made it unique. I would use this book when learning about the Latino culture.
Grade level: K-3
Awards/Honors: None
Culture: Latino
May 1, 2015
This Cinderella tale is very popular in the mountain communities of New Mexico. Arcia’s father marries the next door neighbor, Margarita. Margarita has two daughters. Arcia is rewarded for her kindness with a gold star and Margarita’s daughters are jealous. The daughters are rude and do not get a gold star. The story ends with Arcia marrying a prince just like Cinderella. Arcia does not go to a ball, like Cinderella. She sits by a window and the prince sees her and falls in love with her. It is a wonderful story to use with primary children. This book can be used to compare the two tales.
July 10, 2015
3.75 stars A very interesting tale of the Hispanic Cinderella. It is interesting that each cultures has an indigenous version of this story. In the authors notes, the author discussions some traditional versions on the story and the modifications he made. It is also written in Spanish and English. Perfect for those students in Dual Immersion.
October 4, 2016
This book is based on the folk tale Cinderella, but with a heritage Hispanic twist in the midst of it. The Hispanic culture is seen throughout the story and the bilingual language being used in clearly seen. Being a bilingual book, it can be used within a dual language or English only classroom. Recommended for early education students.
February 14, 2013
I especially like this Cindrella book because it is bilingual (Spanish/English). It is also a great story and is another book I bought with the money donated by one of Esperanza board members--Marty Banks. It will be a fun one to have in our Esperanza library.
September 27, 2008
Laugh-out-loud fun morality tale.
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June 25, 2010Lovely story and beautiful illustrations
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November 10, 2017I love Cinderella stories! This Spanish fairy tale is about the same as the Disney version. I liked how an eagle swooped down and put a gold star in her head. I also liked how her character is not afraid to face challenges and was humble
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews