The Three Golden Oranges

By Alma Flor Ada

Book Overview

Far on the other side of the mountains, next to an enchanted castle, grows a tree with three golden oranges. It is there that the three brothers -- Santiago, Tom s, and Mat as -- must journey if they wish to find a wife.
Once they reach their destination, the brothers must carefully pick the oranges and bring them back to the old woman who lives in a cave on the cliffs overlooking the sea. But, In order to find your wives, you will need to work together, the old woman has said. Woe to you if you do not follow my advice
Each of the brothers wants something different. Santiago wants a wife who is beautiful. Tom s wants one who is both rich and beautiful. But Mat as, the youngest brother, longs for a woman who is kind, joyful, and loving...someone he could love very much in return.
Will the brothers be able to avert misfortune by working together? Will they be strong enough to break the spell that a wicked sorcerer has placed on the castle?
Master storyteller Alma Flor Ada offers a poetic and magical retelling of a well-loved traditional story about Blancaflor, a mythical young woman who appears in various stories throughout the Hispanic world. Reg Cartwright's boldly colorful and exquisitely stylized art is a perfect accompaniment.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1442474963
• ISBN13: 9781442474963
• Release Date: June 2012
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.5" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

The Three Golden Oranges - A good tale

Hi, it's me, StoryMaker. Alma Flor Ada's retelling of The Three Golden Oranges is rich in words and sweet in pictures and is a simply quenching tale. Three brothers - Santiago, Tomas, and Matias - seek wives. Santiago longs for a beautiful woman. Tomas desires a beautiful and rich woman. Matias simply craves a woman who is kind, caring, and that he could love very much. How they are to get these wives, they don't know. Matias suggests a visit to the wise old lady on the cliff. His older brothers agree which, I may note, is a thing they don't often do. And so, they pay her a visit and tell her their requirements for a wife. She answers their requests with instructions. She tells them to go to a particular grove where all of the oranges are still unripe green - except, of course, for three. One tree contains a trio that are the shiniest, most beautiful golden color you could ask for. Together, they are supposed to take the oranges to her without harming them or the tree. However, Santiago and Tomas don't do as they are told - and there are bad consequences, of course. As I said, this story is lush with brilliant describing words and filled with appealing paintings that make you flip pages, eager for the next part of the shining storyline. On the downside, it can get a tiny bit confusing at some points and I really want to know what happened to Santiago and Tomas. Nevertheless, this book is still as sweet and golden as golden oranges - three of them, to be exact. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"