Snow is falling, preparations for a family feast are underway and the air is thick with excitement. Maria is making tamales, kneading the masa and feeling grown-up. All she wants is a chance to wear her mother's diamond ring, which sparkles temptingly on the kitchen counter. When her mother steps away, Maria seizes her opportunity and dons the ring, then carries on with her work. Only later, when the tamales are cooled and a circle of cousins gathered, does Maria remember the diamond. She and the cousins search every tamale--with their teeth. Of course the ring turns out to be safely on Mom's finger. Soto, noted for such fiction as Baseball in April , confers some pleasing touches--a tear on Maria's finger resembles a diamond; he allows the celebrants a Hispanic identity without making it the main focus of the text--but overall the plot is too sentimental (and owes a major debt to an I Love Lucy episode). Martinez's sensuous oil paintings in deep earth tones conjure up a sense of family unity and the warmth of holidays. The children's expressions are deftly rendered--especially when they are faced with a second batch of tamales. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Gary Soto's Too Many Tamales earned critical acclaim from Parents' Choice and Booklist magazines. This endearing story stars Maria, a young girl who is now old enough to help her mother make the traditional Christmas tamales. While kneading the masa, she spots her mom's precious ring lying on the table. Just to see what it feels like, she slips it on and continues her work. The real trouble begins later when she notices the ring is missing. Could it have been cooked into one of the tamales?
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Too Many Tamales
Gary Soto's Too Many Tamales earned critical acclaim from Parents' Choice and Booklist magazines. This endearing story stars Maria, a young girl who is now old enough to help her mother make the traditional Christmas tamales. While kneading the masa, she spots her mom's precious ring lying on the table. Just to see what it feels like, she slips it on and continues her work. The real trouble begins later when she notices the ring is missing. Could it have been cooked into one of the tamales?
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940169302219 |
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Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
Publication date: | 11/07/2008 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
Age Range: | 5 - 8 Years |
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