Flying to the Land of ChildhoodWith this book, the author María Josefa Reyes, has dedicated her stories and verses to children. She happily and successfully combines her narrative and poems. It is worth noting that this is not common in children's literature. It, without doubt, is another achievement for the poet narrator (or vice versa) María Josefa. It corroborates one more time the author's fine sensibility in prose and verses of delicate deep rootedness. For readers of her little book, she demonstrates a profound knowledge of the world of children, for themes she chooses (and addresses), suitable to the reader, according to their ages. Of course, these accomplishments are only possible in a solid spirit, at the point that she combines fineness and tenderness with the everyday reading of the best poetry and narrative written in our language for children. In addition, it is that with these virtues, the poet-narrator evokes not little moments of her childhood that-with nostalgia-improves its delivery and reaches the audience affectively. Another highlight of Marisol's Vacation is the effective use of language, which reveals the author's knowledge of the child's mind. María Josefa does not write about "perfect children." Her children are like everybody: knavish, generous, and sometimes, why not? Mischievous in keeping with this stage of life when they are discovering and learning everything. So it is that I applaud with enthusiasm the value of this little book, its literary quality; even more when it translates the written words into the thoughts and dreams of "the ones who know how to love," to echo the words of José Martí. With her valuable gift for all ages: Marisol's Vacation, María Josefa Reyes Hidalgo offers to childhood, and the "adults," that fortunately, didn't yet abandon the luck to "dream awake" (as my admired colleague-friend Eliseo Diego wanted) the possibility to fly to the land of childhood that we never forget. Waldo González López Cuban poet, literary critic, and cultural journalist A CURIOS DISCOVERYRamón, the fisherman's grandson, was a black child about ten years old, loving, although not very talkative. Occasionally, he would come to Marisol's house to play with her and go looking on the beach for rare species of shells. One day, during one of those walks, they found a bottle."Look, it has something inside." said Ramón."Let me see. It's a messenger bottle," affirmed Marisol with an air of mystery."Run, we must go show this to my father." said Marisol."Let's go." said Ramón. After a little work, her father succeeded in extracting the contents of the bottle. It was a message from a child in the Bahama Islands who wanted the finder to inform him the date it had been found. FRIENDSHIP There is a rose bush in my house / that had been planted with care / for a true friend / who embraces me without prejudice./ For it, race is not important, /nor religion, nor motive, / if my purpose is only / friendship, a faithful treasure, / cultivated by those / who keep their hearts alive.