The Giving Flower: The Story of the Poinsettia

In this comprehensive picture book, Dobbs and Mendoza share the history and lore of the flower known as both poinsettia and flor de nochebuena. The book begins with the Nahuas, who called the plant cuetlaxochitl and used it for medicinal and decorative purposes. Centuries later, during Spanish colonization, the flower appeared in a religious folktale about Pepita, a humble child who experiences a Christmas miracle. Following Mexico’s independence, U.S. ambassador to Mexico Joel Roberts Poinsett, an amateur botanist, sends cuttings of the plant back home, where it is named after him. Landscape-dominant digital illustrations are sprigged with the subject’s often-red bracts, while factual lines alternate with reiterative lyrical phrases, building to an inspirational takeaway: “Once you find... beauty, make it flourish, then give it back to the world.” Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A contextualizing history and timeline conclude. A Spanish-language edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)