The beautiful, but old-fashioned, Sarita sadly watches as her shelf-mates are purchased by eager shoppers. One day, a man decides that she absolutely must be the last doll for his godchild on her quinceanera. Sarita's alarm quickly shifts to pride when she realizes that sometimes people save the best for last. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 1-4-Sarita, a beautiful costume doll in a fancy white dress, fears she will never be purchased. When she is bought, however, it is by a fierce, mustachioed man who tells her that she will be la £ltima mu-eca, the last doll, for his goddaughter, Teresa. Sarita is confused, but all becomes clear when she is taken to Teresa's quincea-era celebration. Pedestrian prose, both in the English and the workmanlike Spanish translation, walks readers through the lavish celebration. Its purpose is clearly spelled out, and the pretty, commercial, full-color acrylic illustrations featuring girls who resemble Barbie and Skipper not only clarify the text but also have a certain slick appeal. Despite the rather formulaic text and illustrations, The Last Doll does meet a need. This is a high-interest bilingual presentation of an important Hispanic rite of passage that will serve as an introduction to dryer but more informative books, such as Mary Lankford's Quincea-era (Millbrook, 1994).-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information