Growing Up with Tamales

Growing Up with Tamales

Specifics

APA Citation: Zepeda, G., Ward, A., Ventura, G. B., & Cavallero, G. (2009). Growing up with tamales = Los tamales de Ana. Houston, TX: Piñata Books.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Bilingual, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: 650L

Audience: This is a children's book that can be read in both Spanish and English. Students could read this to get an idea of Mexican culture and traditions. 

Summary

This book is first written in English and then in Spanish underneath. It starts with Ana explaining how she gets to help make tamales by mixing the dough, but her older sister gets to help by spreading the dough. Ana can't wait to be older like her sister so she can spread the dough too. We watch as Ana gets older and every year she gets to do something different to help with the tamales, but every year her sister also gets to do something different, always something better. Ana envies her sister. By the end, Ana realizes that when she is 18, she can do whatever she likes, so she wants to make her own tamale factory, and her sister can come work for her if she wants. 

Evaluation

This children's book touches on Mexican culture by having the two girls help their mom make a classic Mexican food, tamales. 

The author, Por Gwendolyn Zepeda, uses repetition throughout the whole book to show that while Ana grows, her sister will always be older.  

The illustrations are warm and loving, showing the tamales being put together, as well as the girls growing older. They support the story well. I think young students would enjoy this book, as well as the ending because it is a bit silly. 

Mini Lesson

I would have the students create their own growing up story. It can be about anything, but they have to follow the template of this story. "When I am six I will be able to ________, but when I am six I won't be eight, and when you are eight you can ________. But when I turn eight I can __________" and so on.

Another lesson could be, if I have the resources available to me, having the students make tamales as a class. This could be a cute book for middle school students who are in cooking classes to read before making tamales.