"Fine works a bit of wonder in an understated story with the powerful themes of regeneration and redemption. Fine's message is stronger for remaining implicit. Softly punctuated with the hues of the flower-filled Mexican countryside, Moreno's watercolor and pastel images quietly convey the picturesque setting. Her attention to folkloric details helps bridge the story as it travels between realism and fairy tale." -- Publishers Weekly "The story is satisfying on several levels. Justice and compassion are both served, and a way out is given to the thief, who occasions more pity than anger. Spanish words and phrases, gracefully defined in the text, add to the richness of the narrative. The primitive watercolor illustrations, long on bright color and strong line, augment the story beautifully.

It could be effectively used with Alma Flor Ada's The Gold Coin (Atheneum, 1991) to provoke discussion about how understanding can create motivation for positive change." -- School Library Journal "The story deals honestly with the pain of being robbed of a treasure, and also, by showing the thief with his impoverished family, conveys the need for compassion. Moreno's watercolor-and-pastel illustrations give the Mexican countryside a warm, softly textured appearance." -- Booklist "[A] moving tribute to the need for compassion and forgiveness. Fine offers a litigious world an inspiring example of the power of forgiveness, while Moreno's luminous watercolors gently depict rural life in Mexico." -- Kirkus Reviews Parents' Choice Silver Award, Parents' Choice Foundation Honor Book Award, Society of School Librarians International.