Too Many Tamales

by Gary Soto

illustrated by Ed Martinez

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Soto, Gary. 1993. TOO MANY TAMALES. Ill. Ed Martinez. ISBN 0399221468.


B. SUMMARY
Wanting to be "grown-up", Maria slips her mother's wedding on her thumb as she helps her mother prepare tamales for the Christmas celebration. It's not until much later, after all the extended family has arrived, that Maria realizes she lost the ring in the masa. In an attempt to right the wrong she committed, Maria enlists the help of her cousins and they begin eating all 24 tamales only to realize the ring isn't there. Maria goes to confess to her mother and sees the ring on her mom's hand. She then shares that all the tamales have been eaten, the family laughs and goes to the kitchen to prepare another batch of tamales.


C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Gary Soto's delightful holiday story, TOO MANY TAMALES, the main character, Maria, is a typical little girl who wants to be all grown-up. Soto tells the story simply, without too many details to bog it down. Ed Martinez' illustrations assist in the story-telling by the expressive, and humorous, faces on the children and adults in the story. The story takes place entirely in Maria's home, filled with family for the holiday. From the illustrations, it is obvious that the family is Hispanic but that is not the focus of the story, just an added detail.

As far as cultural markers go, there are very few in this funny story. The only nod to the family being Hispanic is from the illustrations of the characters with dark hair and, obviously, the tamales. There is no mention of a different language or other customs associated with Christmas. In fact, the style of clothing and the language is decidedly American. In fact, change the choice of food and this story could easily be Italian, Middle-Eastern or even Asian.


D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews: "Soto's simple text is charmingly direct; he skips explanations, letting characters reveal themselves by what they do. Martinez's realistic, nicely composed paintings are glowing with light and life, while he reinforces the story with particularly expressive faces and gestures. This one should become a staple on the holiday menu. "

Publishers Weekly: "...Soto, noted for such fiction as Baseball in April , confers some pleasing touches--a tear on Maria's finger resembles a diamond; he allows the celebrants a Hispanic identity without making it the main focus of the text..."

School Library Journal: "A warm family story that combines glowing art with a well-written text to tell of a girl's dilemma."


E. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Gary Soto:
Soto, Gary. 2000. BASEBALL IN APRIL. New York: Harcourt Children's Books.
ISBN 0152025731
Soto, Gary. 1990. A SUMMER LIFE. New York: Laurel Leaf. ISBN 0874515238.
Soto, Gary. 2004. CHATO AND THE PARTY ANIMALS. Ill. Susan Guevara. New York: Puffin. ISBN 0142400327.