  High-resolution Hubble Space Telescope images have allowed us for the first
time to resolve the compact SMC ionized ``blob'' N88A (diameter 3.5 arcsec or 1
pc). This very young HII region, which is hatching from its natal molecular
cloud, is heavily affected by absorbing dust associated with the cloud. The
interstellar reddening towards N88A is on average Av~1.5 mag and strikingly
rises to more than 3.5 mag in a narrow dust band crossing the core of the HII
region. Such a high extinction is unprecedented for an HII region in the
metal-poor SMC. We present the photometry of some 70 stars lying towards the OB
association at the center of which lies N88A. The exciting star(s) of N88A is
not detected, due to the heavy extinction. The chronology of star formation is
discussed for the whole region.
