Growing Up With Tamales / Los tamales de Ana (English and Spanish Edition)
PreSchool-Grade 3—Ana, six, impatiently observes that while she gets to mix the cornmeal to make Christmas tamales, "My sister Lidia is eight, so she gets to spread the dough on the corn husk leaves." She goes on to explain all of the things she will be able to do, "But when I am eight, Lidia will be ten. So she will get to fill and roll the tamales. I wish I was ten." The bilingual text, which stands out boldly on warm golden-colored paper, progresses in two-year increments until Ana cheerfully resolves she will open her own tamale factory when she is 18, and her older sister can come work for her. The Spanish translation is accurate, but the title is significantly different. The Spanish title, "Ana's Tamales," seems less awkward than the English and foreshadows nicely the sweet ending and the name of Ana's delivery truck. This is an upbeat multicultural family story with brilliantly colored artwork.—Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.