BIBLOGRAPHY
Soto, Gary and Martinez, Ed. 1993. TOO MANY TAMALES. New York: G.P. Putman’s Sons. ISBN: 0-399-22146-8.
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about Maria and how she helps her family make tamales for a Christmas meal. In helping with the tamales Maria puts on her Mother’s special ring. Later, after all the tamales have been cooked Maria remembers the ring and convinces her cousins to help her eat all of the tamales to find the ring. They eat all the tamales only to discover – no ring! Maria goes to her mother head hung low and just as she gets ready to recount the events she sees the ring on her mother’s finger! Maria tells her mother about the tamales and the whole family goes to the kitchen to make some more tamales. Maria’s cousins are not very happy with the thought of eating any more tamales!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Soto shows a combination of Hispanic and American influences in the story. The food and how it is prepared is authentic even with a few Spanish words here and there. The illustrations show a cross over with the American culture. The clothing of the characters is not typically Hispanic or Spanish. The men are wearing sweaters and even a tie. The ladies are in dresses or skirts that do not show the flair for colorfulness that one would think of for the Hispanic culture of the past. The illustrations are portraying a more modern family. The story itself is heartwarming as Maria does not want to disappoint her mother and lose the ring and shows how across the cultures cousins can persuade each other to help out in a crisis. None of the adults seem bothered by the situation it is only the children who ate “too many tamales” that are groaning in the background, except for Maria who is happily kneading the masa once more to make more tamales to replace the ones eaten.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher’s Weekly –“Soto allows the celebrants a Hispanic identity without making it the main focus of the text.”
Children’s Literature –“ Everyone can identify with Maria's panic and the too-full tummies, but this also inspires children to share the way their own family celebrates holidays.”
Booklist starred review- “More than the usual feel-good holiday celebration of ethnic pride, this warm picture book about a Latina child at Christmas is rooted in cultural tradition and in the physicalness of happy family life, with echoes of universal fairy tale. It's also a very funny story, full of delicious surprise.”
CONNECTIONS
This story has been used in classrooms a lot. There have even been study guides written to go along with the story. This is an excellent book to teach honesty, helping out your family and even Christmas traditions.
Website – Teacher Vision - http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lesson-plan/reading-comprehension/48613.html
Website – Scholastic discussion guide - http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=36802
Santiago, Esmeralda. LAS CHRISTMAS: FAVORITE LATINO AUTHORS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS ISBN: 9780375701559
Book cover image is from the Barnes and Noble website.
Soto, Gary and Martinez, Ed. 1993. TOO MANY TAMALES. New York: G.P. Putman’s Sons. ISBN: 0-399-22146-8.
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about Maria and how she helps her family make tamales for a Christmas meal. In helping with the tamales Maria puts on her Mother’s special ring. Later, after all the tamales have been cooked Maria remembers the ring and convinces her cousins to help her eat all of the tamales to find the ring. They eat all the tamales only to discover – no ring! Maria goes to her mother head hung low and just as she gets ready to recount the events she sees the ring on her mother’s finger! Maria tells her mother about the tamales and the whole family goes to the kitchen to make some more tamales. Maria’s cousins are not very happy with the thought of eating any more tamales!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Soto shows a combination of Hispanic and American influences in the story. The food and how it is prepared is authentic even with a few Spanish words here and there. The illustrations show a cross over with the American culture. The clothing of the characters is not typically Hispanic or Spanish. The men are wearing sweaters and even a tie. The ladies are in dresses or skirts that do not show the flair for colorfulness that one would think of for the Hispanic culture of the past. The illustrations are portraying a more modern family. The story itself is heartwarming as Maria does not want to disappoint her mother and lose the ring and shows how across the cultures cousins can persuade each other to help out in a crisis. None of the adults seem bothered by the situation it is only the children who ate “too many tamales” that are groaning in the background, except for Maria who is happily kneading the masa once more to make more tamales to replace the ones eaten.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher’s Weekly –“Soto allows the celebrants a Hispanic identity without making it the main focus of the text.”
Children’s Literature –“ Everyone can identify with Maria's panic and the too-full tummies, but this also inspires children to share the way their own family celebrates holidays.”
Booklist starred review- “More than the usual feel-good holiday celebration of ethnic pride, this warm picture book about a Latina child at Christmas is rooted in cultural tradition and in the physicalness of happy family life, with echoes of universal fairy tale. It's also a very funny story, full of delicious surprise.”
CONNECTIONS
This story has been used in classrooms a lot. There have even been study guides written to go along with the story. This is an excellent book to teach honesty, helping out your family and even Christmas traditions.
Website – Teacher Vision - http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lesson-plan/reading-comprehension/48613.html
Website – Scholastic discussion guide - http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=36802
Santiago, Esmeralda. LAS CHRISTMAS: FAVORITE LATINO AUTHORS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS ISBN: 9780375701559
Book cover image is from the Barnes and Noble website.
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