Skip to main content

Too Many Tamales

Too Many Tamales

Written by Gary Soto & Illustrated by Ed Martinez

Overview: During one Christmas Eve, Maria was helping her mother make tamales and she put on her mother's ring because she admired it so much. Without another thought, she went back to work on needing the masa. After the tamales were finished, her cousins arrived and she began to spend time with them. All of a sudden, she realized that the ring was not on her hand anymore and it must be in the tamales! She ran down the stairs with her cousins and made them eat all 24 of them to find the ring! When it was not found, she went to tell her mother the terrible news. However, when she approached her, she saw the ring on her hand! Maria was relieved and her and her aunts and her mother set to work making a new batch of tamales.   
This story has an illustration on almost every page and it is an exciting one! Young readers will want to finish this story to the end so it is a great idea to read it aloud. 3rd graders would be able to read this book on their own and enjoy it. 


-The Green Eyed Reader

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tar Beach

Tar Beach Written & Illustrated Faith Ringgold Overview: This is a beautiful quilt story about a girl who lies on her "tar beach," her rooftop, with her family. She talks about how her father is a construction worker and looks for new work for lengthy amounts of time. The little girl decides that she is going to fly over the union building, the ice cream factory and a great bridge so that they will be hers forever. I believe that she means this in a figurative manner, in a sort of dream. She takes her little brother with her at the end and they fly with their eyes closed.  The paintings in this book have an unclean, but beautiful nature to them. This book provokes deep thinking and even has some historical events in it that would be great to explain to a classroom. 2nd graders would enjoy reading this book by themselves.   To order your own copy:  https://www.amazon.com/Tar-Beach-Faith-Ringgold/dp/0517885441/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512013031&a

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie By Laura Joffe Numeroff & Illustrated by Felicia Bond Summary: This is the tale of a boy who had a mouse as a friend and the boy gave him a cookie. Of course the mouse wanted milk to go along with the cookie, so he asked for some of that too. When the boy gives the mouse the milk, he wants a straw as well, and then a napkin to clean himself up with. Over and over again the boy will meet the mouse's need, but then it turns into another and then another! The story comes full circle after a hair cut, a nap, and other shenanigans when the mouse is tired from all of his activities and asks for a glass of milk. Because when he asks for a glass of milk, most likely, he will want a cookie to go with it! Review:  This story is a cycle and is one that is endearing to all ages. With the illustrations and easy vocabulary, it is great for read aloud or individual student readings.  would recommend this to K-1st grade students because there are a lot o

The War That Saved My Life

The War that Saved My Life  By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley  Summary:  This story follows the lives of a young brother and sister duo, Ada and Jamie Smith, during World War II. These siblings have grown up in the same house with their mother, who they call Mam, but with two very different lives. Jamie, a 7 year-old, is the youngest, and for the most part, has a normal life that includes going to school and playing with his friends around the block. Ada, on the other hand, who is 11 years-old, lives the life of a crippled and abused shut-in. This is in thanks to her Mam, who is embarrassed by the fact that she had a daughter with a club foot. Because of her foot, Ada cannot walk correctly and is not allowed to go outside of their London flat. However, that all changes when the Germans invade and their city is predicted to be bombed. For Ada and Jamie's safety, not only from the bombs, but also from Mam, they runaway with Jamie's local school to the countryside in Kent. H