Magda's Tortillas / Las Tortillas de Magda
Grade 2-4-Magda Madrigal is turning seven years old and her  grandmother has promised to teach her how to make tortillas. She  knows it is important to copy her grandmother's every move so  that her tortillas will turn out round and perfectly formed. But  it isn't as easy as it looks.  All of Magda's attempts result in fanciful shapes: stars,  hearts, bananas, hexagons, and lakes. She is very frustrated by  what she sees as her failed attempts until she hears her  family's delight and bathes in their praise of her first  tortillas. Unfortunately for this heartwarming story, the  Spanish text does not read as smoothly  as the English. The translator tried too hard to render the  English phrases into Spanish, resulting in stilted syntax.  Despite this weakness, the translation is serviceable, and the  subject covered will be well received by Mexican American  readers for portraying their culture. The full-color  illustrations feature a wide-eyed Magda in every scene. The  artist has done a wonderful job of depicting a handsome Hispanic  American family. A great pick for story-time activities in  school and public libraries. Recommended for all bilingual  collections.  M.O.B.Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.