Old Ramon is a salutary and refreshing entry in the field of juvenile fiction: its protagonist is Hispanic, elderly, and decidedly heroic. Ramon is a suitable and effective mentor for the boy, as well as for the novel's young readers.

This is not to imply that Ramon is a one-dimensional character of predictable goodness. The shepherd has his flaws; for instance, he is occasionally irascible, and he confesses to the boy that as a young man he was profligate with his earnings and was drawn too readily to women and whiskey. But Ramon's virtues far outweigh his past failings, so that at least in the arena of his work—and for Ramon, work and life are one—he represents a completely admirable role model for young people of all backgrounds. Further, Old Ramon is wholesome fare, devoid of gratuitous violence and objectionable language.