Gr 1-3-M-nica loves to help out in her grandparents' bakery. She sells the bread, talks with the workers and the customers, and listens to her Abuela reminisce about how she and Abuelo started the shop. Just helping isn't enough for this motivated little girl, though. When she finds the Ni-o doll that is baked in the Three Kings' Ring, M-nica gets the honor of throwing a party for her friends and makes her grandmother's special lemon cookies for the occasion. Mora has once again succeeded in writing a warm family story that includes information about Mexican traditions and celebrations while appealing to the common elements that link people across cultures. The texts in both languages are smooth and colloquial, though a bit long for a read-aloud. Torrecilla's pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoons are big and bright, but are not up to the quality of the text. The faces all have a stylized, slightly squashed look, and an undeniable similarity that mitigates the individuality found in the text. Nonetheless, this is a satisfying read that could be successfully paired with Mary J. Andrade's The Vigil of the Little Angels (La Oferta, 2001) and Tomie dePaola's The Night of Las Posadas (Putnam, 1999) for a look at Mexican and Mexican-American celebrations. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.