Estrellita de oro

retold in Spanish and English by Joe Hayes
illustrated by Gloria Osuna Perez and Lucia Angela Perez

Book reviews Story Characters Use of Magic Country of origin & printable map Related Books

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4 - When young Arcia tries to convince her father to marry the woman next door, he warns her that, “Today Margarita is so sweet and kind,/But her sweetness will turn bitter with time.” Sure enough, soon after the marriage, Margarita favors her own two selfish daughters, and her stepdaughter is reduced to being a servant. The gift of sheep, one for each girl, from Arcia’s shepherd father sets things in motion. His daughter’s lamb grows large and healthy, and once it is sheared, a hawk appears and steals the wool. When Arcia asks for it back, the bird tells her to look where he flies. When she does, a gold star drifts from the sky and fastens itself to her forehead. Naturally, the jealous sisters want gold stars, too. However, one ends up sprouting a donkey’s ear and the other a green horn. Arcia doesn’t go to the ball in this version; she merely peeks in the window and the prince falls in love at first sight. The telling, in both English and a charming colloquial Spanish, is crisp, lively, and individual. It is well matched by the primitive, acrylic-on-art-board paintings that blend vivid colors with strong lines to impel the movement of the story. 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. - Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA - Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Hayes, a veteran folklorist, offers an engaging telling of “Cinderella” that is popular in the mountain communities of New Mexico. There are some significant variations that add depth to the story, making it in many ways more interesting than the original. Arcia, the Cinderella figure, wants her father to marry, even though he warns her that the stepmother’s sweetness “will turn bitter in time.” True enough. When her father goes to the mountains to tend his sheep, Arcia becomes the unloved workhorse. In a bit of folktale mixing, Arcia gets a gold star on her forehead from a hawk, while her stepsisters get a horn and donkey’s ear for their cruelty. It is by the star that the wealthy young prince remembers Arcia; and with a talking cat’s help, he finds her. The English text, which is made full-bodied by its many details, appears with a Spanish translation. The impressive acrylic illustrations, done in a sturdy folk-art style, are thick with color and bright with humor. - Ilene Cooper

School Library Journal, June 2000
unique flavor…makes this not only a good introduction to the tellers art, but…an engaging entre into Hispanic culture.

Nick Jr. Magazine, December / January issue
LITTLE GOLD STAR by Joe Hayes was selected as one of the 30 Best Books of the Year

There was a man whose wife had died. He had a daughter, Arcia. Next door was a widow woman, Margarita, and her two daughters. Every day Arcia would walk by Margarita’s house. Margarita would give her cookies or honey cakes.

One day Arcia had asked her father to marry Margarita. She told how good she was to her and that she gave her sweets everyday. The father did not want to marry Margarita. He said she was sweet and kind now, but within time, she would become bitter. Arcia kept asking her father to marry Margarita until he finally gave in.

Things were fine until Arcia’s father had to go to the mountains to take his sheep to the high meadows. The stepsisters started fighting with Arcia. Margarita no longer liked Arcia. She bought her daughters silken dresses and gold jewelry. She bought Arcia nothing. Before long the room was filled with so many beautiful things that Arcia was moved to the kitchen and slept next to the stove.

When Arcia’s father returned, he gave each girl a sheep. He told them that if they cared for them, they could see them and keep the money, or they could take the wool and make something. The girls took care of the sheep. Arcia took such good care of her sheep that it was the fattest of the three. She asked her father to shear her sheep so that she could take the wool and weave him a blanket. So, the father sheared the sheep and gave Arcia the wool. She took it down to the stream to wash. As she was washing the wool a hawk swooped down and took it from her. She begged the hawk to retune the wool. In a human voice, it told her look at where it flies. As she looked up, a little gold star fastened itself to her forehead.

As Arcia went home, the wool fell into her arms washed, spun, and woven into fine cloth. Margarita insisted she take the piece of metal from her forehead. The more Margarita rubbed, the shinier it got. The two stepsisters being jealous wanted their own star. They went looking for their stepfather to shear their sheep.

The first daughter had the stepfather shear her sheep. As she began to wash the wool in the river, a hawk flew down and snatched it. She angrily screamed at the bird to bring it back. The bird told her to watch where he flew. She stubbornly refused until she could not resist the temptation to look. When she looked up, a donkey ear came down and attached itself to her forehead. She ran home screaming. Her mother demanded her scissors. When she cut off the donkey ear, it grew back more floppier and longer. The people in the village called her Donkey Ear.

The other sister not knowing what happened to her sister took her wool to the river. As she began washing the wool, the hawk swooped down and took her wool. She screamed and called the hawk names. She demanded that the hawk bring back her wool. The hawk told her to watch where he flew. She refused to obey until she had to look to see where the hawk flew. Just then a cow horn dropped from the sky and attached itself to her forehead. She ran home crying and screaming. When she got home, her mother took a saw and tried to cut the cow horn off. It grew back longer and greener. The people of the village called her Green Horn. All the villagers called Arcia, Little Gold Star; so, Margarita forbids Arcia to go to town. Instead, she made her do all of the chores.

One day at the well, Arcia overheard that the Prince was looking for a bride. Every girl from every village was invited. Arcia went home and informed the two stepsisters. She helped them dress in their silken gowns. She fixed their hair so the horrible things on their foreheads would not show. She went to the door and waved goodbye.

That evening Arcia was sad and lonely. She decided it would not hurt to peek through the window. As she looked into the window the star on her forehead was shining brighter than the sun. The Prince saw the star and insisted that his servants bring the girl to him. When Arcia saw the servants coming, she became frightened and ran home.

The next day, the Prince searched for the girl with the Gold Star. Upon hearing of the Prince’s search, Margarita made Arcia hide under the table and forbid her to come out. When the Prince arrived, Margarita offered her daughters. He gasped at the horn and the donkey ear and politely refused. As the Prince was leaving, the cat woke up, and walked to the Prince, and purred that Arcia was under the table. The Prince asked what was under the table. Margarita denied what the cat said and threw it outside. The cat came right back and repeated that Arcia was under the table. The Prince ordered his servants to look. As they approached, Arcia stood up. The Prince immediately fell in love with Arcia. A few days later, the wedding celebration began. It lasted nine days and nine nights. Everyone was invited even Margarita and her two daughters, Green Horn and Donkey Ear.

Arcia - She is a Cinderella type character. She is given a gold star on her forehead. She marries the prince.

Margarita - She is the stepmother. At first, she is nice to Arcia. When Arcia’s father leaves to tend sheep, Margarita is mean.

Stepdaughters - They are jealous of Arcia’s gold star. They are dishonest in trying to get one of their own in return. They got a donkey ear and a green cow horn.

Papa - He is convinced by Arcia to marry Margarita. He gives Arcia and her stepsisters each a sheep.

Prince - He has a big party to find his bride. He sees the gold star at his party and falls in love with Arcia. He marries Arcia.

In the beginning when Arcia is washing her fleece a hawk carries it away. When she asked for it back, the hawk replied for her to look up. When she looked up, a gold star attached to her forehead. The wool is then dropped from the sky already washed, spun, and woven into fine cloth.

When the stepsisters go to wash their wool, they yell at the hawk. When they look up, they are given a donkey ear and a green cow horn.

When the Prince arrives at Arcia’s house, the cat speaks and reveals Arcia’s hiding place. When the Prince sees her, her falls in love immediately.

In 1540, the Spanish invaded the Southwest looking for the cities of gold (LaPierre 2). We see the influence here in that one side of the page is written in Spanish. The other side is translated into English.

Some people raise animals for use. For example, they may raise goats for milk and cheese (LaPierre 8). In this story, Arcia’s father raises sheep for fleece.

“Dances were one of the few places young people could meet and court” (LaPierre 18(. Perhaps this would explain why the Prince chose to have a party to find a wife.

Finally, “after the wedding, the bride and groom and their godparents, family, and friends enjoyed a fest that could last for days” (LaPierre 19). We see this at the end of the story. “A few days later, the wedding celebration began. It lasted for nine days and nine nights, and the last day was better than the first.”

LaPierre, Yvette. Welcome to Josefina’s World: 1824 - Growing up on America’s Southwest Frontier. Middleton: Pleasant Company, 1999.