Tía's Tamales

Gr 1—3—School is canceled due to snow, so Luz gets to spend the day with her Abuelita. Her modern, young-looking grandmother arrives on the doorstep carrying a big, flowered box and tells the child that they are going to make tamales just like the ones her great Tía taught her great-grandfather Diego to make. The book flashes back to that frosty day. Tía resembles Mary Poppins with her overcoat, boots, and hat adorned with flowers, buttons, and feathers. Magical things happen when Diego can't get any eggs or fish for the tamales, and Tía puts on her hat. After telling the tale, Abuelita presents Luz with Tía's magical hat. This cheerful picture book is illustrated in cool tones of almond, pistachio, and pumpkin. The people in the drawings are silhouetted in white and seem to be placed upon each scene. Each page of text is divided into two blocks of color with English on one block and Spanish on the other. The story reads equally well in both languages, and the English is peppered with Spanish words that are included in a brief glossary. This is a delightful tale about how family recipes and stories are handed down from generation to generation.—Rebecca Hickman, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL