Customer Reviews

Too Many Tamales

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The warm interiors suffusing this beautifully illustrated Christmas time story convey the entire emotional tone of the book. Although we're waiting for an accident to happen-we can just tell that young Maria is somehow going to lose her mother's ring while helping her make tamales-we also are pretty certain thins are going to work out alright. While this may take away a bit of suspense, this is a comforting book that promises a happy conclusion (delivered her by a surprise).

The text is simple and flows well; Soto is an experienced writer. He incorporates traditional activities like food, the visiting of extended family, and gift exchanges. I was a bit puzzled that no religious elements were included, not even as an incidental (e.g., the family is returning form church, a religious decorative element). However, I was not familiar with illustrator Ed Martinez, and it is his warm, emotional pictures that make this a "holiday book." He has a varied painting style, one drawing of Maria in light with a high contrast background recalls Renaissance paintings; other pictures use a Rockwellian focus on emotional faces and tableau-like scenarios. Production values are good, although Putnam might have published a larger book with thick, glossy paper, and a heavier cover.

I got this book because of its truly exceptional illustrations. The colors are rich and evocative. But I was surprised to see the profound effect that this book had on my four-year-old daughter. She empathized so deeply with the shame and the desperation of the main character that for an entire week after reading this story she was coming to me to make confessions of all the times she was tempted to do things that were wrong. It was a combination of the story and the intense emotions that are depicted in the paintings that came together to shake her to the core. For that reason, think this is a great book for all children, not just Latinos and not just for Christmastime.

This is a beautiful picture book that just melts your heart. This is one of Gary Soto's classics. This is an asset for any classroom to have. The illustrations are so beautiful that you could almost reach out and hug Maria when she is looking at the ring on her finger. Her smile is adorable.The illustrations show the glittery feeling of the holiday season. This book could be used in teaching many lessons on honesty, traditions, Christmas, family and the humor within the storyline. Every child should have a chance to hear this story being read to them and have the opportunity to read the story on there own.

My class of second and third graders really enjoyed this book. Many of them make tamales at home every year. They enjoyed reading about someone else that shares the same traditions. It opened up a lot of discussion about telling the truth. The only problem was all the talk about tamales made them hungry!

I am an elementary education major and I used this book to examine the book contents for educational value and also to see if children would like it. I loved it and bought it! I also work at a daycare when I am not in school and I used it for "class time" and had them (3 -5 year old children) draw anything about the book and they drew tamales, diamond rings, and the girl looking out the window of her house. They totally caught on to the story. I would recommend this book to everyone no matter the age of the children.

Too Many Tamales is an excellent book that portrays the traditions and celebrations in a Latino family. Tamales are the traditional Christmas food in Latino families. This book is about a mother and daughter making Tamales during the christmas season. Somehow the daughter losses her mother's ring while making the Tamales. Could it be in the Tamales? A wonderfully vivid story with great illustrations.

This one is surprising because it really did nothing for me. My mother gave it to my son, along with a lot of other Christmas books. However, he has gravitated to this one. The description says that it is for 4 to 6 year olds, but my son is only 2 1/2. We've read it about ten times, but he has it memorized. We can randomly ask him to state the next word and he always gets it. Every night he asks for the tamale book.

Too Many Tamales is a wonderful story of traditions. Maria is helping her mother make tamales. Her mother removes her beautiful diamond ring so that it won't get sticky from the masa. Maria picks it up and places it on her thumb. Distracted, she forgets that she was wearing it. When the cousins show up they have to help her find the ring by eating all of the tamales. But they don't find it, and now Maria must tell her mother. You will have to read the story to see if it is found in a cousins belly or someplace else.

Just looking at the picture on the cover, you can imagine how the story is going to go.

Poor Maria. SUCH a big girl - helping out, wearing lipstick, a dab of perfume... why not wear her mother's ring as well?

Why not? Because when you can't find it, you'd BETTER find it. And yes, she tries to find it in the only way possible. By eating every. single. tamale.

Even for a picture book, I refuse to spoil the ending. But the ring does (eventually) get found, and the family has a happy holiday regardless.

This a fun book for children; it gives them a warm story to use in order to better appreciate moms and grandmothers.