Too Many Tamales

The children's book Too Many Tamales, written by Gary Soto, displays the theme of responsibility and guilt through the main character Maria, as she struggles with the emotion of guilt after losing her mother's wedding ring while making tamales with her mother. However, as Maria faces her accident, she grows from an anxious child to someone who learns the importance of taking responsibility. Soto's use of symbolism can be displayed through the family tradition of making tamales and how losing the ring reflects how she fears disappointing her family. This story highlights that mistakes are a part of every child's life and that honesty is key to healthy relationships. Overall, I was able to connect to this book because it gave me a sense show more of nostalgia, thinking back to the winter months of making tamales with my own grandmother and sharing those traditions with my family. I feel that this book can offer children a look into a different culture and share the common feeling of being scared to face the consequences of our mistakes. show less

Delighted at the opportunity to help her mother make tamales for their Christmas celebration, Maria - dressed up in her mother's apron, and wearing (by special permission!) some lipstick and perfume - is tempted to try on her mother's diamond ring. Caught up in the joy of the holiday, and the pleasure of participating in "adult" things, Maria forgets all about the ring, until she realizes it is missing! Now she and her cousins must eat ALL of the tamales, in the hopes of finding it...

A charming holiday tale, full of family warmth and Christmas cheer, Too Many Tamales paints a portrait of a tradition which may be new to many young readers. There is no mention of church, Santa Claus, or gift-giving, but although tamale-making may be an show more unfamiliar custom to some, the gathering of an obviously loving family is sure to strike a chord. I enjoyed this Christmas story, with its culturally specific Latino themes, and universally relevant story - haven't we all taken something we weren't supposed to, as children? - and was delighted with the beautiful artwork. Ed Martinez really does a wonderful job capturing the humor of the story, with his wonderfully expressive faces. I'm so glad the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, chose this as one of our May selections, in honor of "Latino Books Month!" Highly recommended! show less

This feels like a Christmas story in about the same way Die Hard does. It happens at Christmas, sure, but it could easily happen any time in the year when families (or corporate employees) gather: Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, a birthday party, etc.

In this nothing tale, a little girl tries on her mother's diamond ring and then loses track of it. She can only assume it has made its way into the tamale dough she was kneading, so she needs to search them.

My daughter did not connect with this book at two or twenty-four.

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Rated “Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod and Adelia.

This is such a humorous story that incorporates many aspects of Hispanic culture, such as the food, holiday celebrations, and behaviors of the characters. The story is about a young girl, named Maria, that is mesmerized by her mother’s diamond ring and wears it as she kneads the masa for the tamales. When her and her cousins are discussing what they want for Christmas, Maria realizes that her mother’s ring is no longer on her finger. She figures that the ring must be inside one of the tamales. Then, she asks her cousins to help her eat the tamales until they find the ring. After all of the tamales have been eaten and there was still no sign of the ring, she becomes devastated. When she goes to confess to her mother about what she show more has done, she realizes that her mother was wearing the ring the whole time. I would recommend this book as a read-aloud to kindergarten through third graders. I believe that as a teacher in Texas, there is a great chance that many of the students may come from a Hispanic background and can relate to this story. I think this is also a great book for teachers to highlight the use of descriptive language and vocabulary. Students could also be prompted to come up with how they would solve this problem, therefore enhancing problem solving and critical thinking skills. show less

This is a wonderful Christmas picture book, with a slightly different emphasis than many other books on the subject. In this story, Maria is making tamales with her mother, a Christmas tradition very common among Hispanic families in the southwest (where I live). Her mother leaves the room for a moment, and Maria's eyes are drawn to the diamond ring her mother left on the counter. She can't resist, and tries the lovely jewelry on her own hand, admiring its shine; but when her mama returns, Maria forgets she is wearing the ring, and starts kneading the masa. The ring is pulled off by the dough, and Maria happily leaves the room to welcome her arriving family.

Maria enjoys playing with her cousins, but when something reminds her of the show more ring she dashes back to the kitchen, her three cousins in tow. After looking everywhere, to no success, Maria comes to the inevitable conclusion: the ring must have been cooked in a tamale! She enlists her cousins' help to eat through the tamales in search of the ring. At first, the job is enjoyable, but soon their bellies are full and they still haven't found the ring. After eating all the tamales, with still no ring in sight, the children believe it must be in someone's stomach. But when Maria is ready to confess to her mama, she finds a surprise - the ring is on her mom's finger. The adults laughingly console the children, and then the whole family makes new tamales together.

The story is sweet and funny, with a plucky heroine and a lovely tone of Christmas comfort and tender family memories. The text is well written, and the illustrations are warm and comic. I particularly like this book because it explores the Christmas traditions typical for Mexican American families, in an organic story that presents the customs in a natural setting, instead of noting them as peculiar or strange. I want to teach my children, and my self, an appreciation of diversity and cultures different from our own, and this book is a wonderful way to learn about other cultures while recognizing the similarities that bind us all together. Plus, it's just a fun story! This book deserves a lot more attention than it receives. show less

This story has staying power. It has humor and tension, and the resolution is satisfying. Illustrations fit the book well. I like the story because it is not self consciously a "teaching culture" story-- one where the story itself is sacrificed for the inclusion of cultural details. At the same time, the story itself gives ample room for discussions and cultural activities as time and interest allow.

I enjoyed this book for a couple of reasons. One reason is that is based of the Hispanic culture and children that are hispanic can relate to the food, tamales, and can connect with the book. The plot of the story also pulled the reader in. When the ring gets lost in the tamales the reader wants to know what is going to happen next and if the ring is going to be found. This is suspenseful for children and lets them use their imagination to think of ideas of where the ring could have gone. The pictures also show the emotions of the characters in the book. When the children come to the conclusion that the ring may be in the tamales you can tell by their eyes being wide and the shocked look on their face that they don't know what to do. show more The book also teaches children the lesson that although accidents may happen, family and teamwork can solve the problem and what might seem like a big issue isn't that big in the scheme of things. show less