Rosita y la noche de los rábanos

K-Gr 2—On December 23 in Oaxaca, Mexico, a radish-carving competition has been held for more than 115 years. Dating from 1897, this is a high-stakes event for the locals, with a prize of 15,000 pesos. It is no wonder that Rosita wants to win the carving contest to help her parents, who need extra help on their farm. In a twist out of a fairy tale, Rosita receives magic radish seeds from a bird. She hopes this is a sign but ends up losing the carving contest to the disagreeable neighbors, the González family. However, on the night of the festival, a miracle occurs: the three female figures in Rosita's carving turn into real girls—sisters who can help work on the farm. This Spanish narrative is a bit text-heavy and doesn't capture the tone of the traditional tales it is trying to emulate. The illustrations are adequate, but the placement of characters on the page spreads seems a bit stagey. The author includes an explanatory note followed by more than 10 pages of actual photographs of radish carvings. While not a quality book from a literary standpoint, this could be used as a tool for introducing a culturally diverse craft activity.