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

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto follows Maria, a little girl helping her mother in the kitchen. She admired her mother's ring and decided it would be okay if she tried it on. After her mother left the room, she tries it on. She continues kneading the dough, not realizing it fell within the mixture. Later in the story she realizes where the ring went and tries her best to cover it up with her cousins. They attempt to eat all the tamales and she realizes her mom found it and places it back on her finger. This story shows how children should be honest about mistakes rather than creating big commotions over minor problems. In the story the children go through a lot of troubles, such as getting sick from eating all the tamales, as an attempt show more to cover up the problem. The illustration featured throughout the story show the clear panic and stress of the main character and her situation. This book reminded me of how many times growing up, I was always afraid of getting into trouble and as a result would keep things from others, eventually making small problems bigger. 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 one of my favorite classics that I read at least once during the Christmas season. This humorous story incorporates several aspects of the Hispanic culture, such as the food, holiday traditions, expectations and much more. Maria's fascination of admiration, prompted a possible accident that required her cousins to pitch in, in helping consume a number of tamales to find what was lost. In the end, Maria and her cousin all learn a lesson and their honesty leads to a great reward.

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.