January's Book of the Month: Growing Up with Tamales

Growing Up with Tamales
Los tamales de Ana
By Gwendolyn Zepeda
Illustrated by April Ward

The LBBC’s recommendation for January’s Libro del Mes, is Gwendolyn Zepeda’s Growing Up with Tamales/Los tamales de Ana.

Growing Up with Tamales is an imaginative story that centers around the family tradition of making tamales. The tale is told from the perspective of six year old Ana, who yearns to be just like her big sister, Lidia. Two years younger than her sister, Ana imagines what her life will be like when she is Lidia’s age…at eight, ten, 12, 14, 16, and finally 18. The funny ending is sure to amuse its readers!

The book itself is written with complete text in both English and Spanish. The copy that I received, however, is from Lorito Books and is an audiobook set. The accompanying CD is read by Denver stage actress, Gabriela Cavallero, whose expressive rendition in flawless English and Spanish will delight listeners of any age.

April Ward’s illustrations are warm and colorful. She does a remarkable job depicting Ana as she "grows up" into a young woman. And the character’s faces are expressive, telling stories in themselves.

Growing Up with Tamales is a Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Recommended Title and a Tejas Star Book Awards Finalist.

A great book for children with brothers and sisters. Parents and teachers can discuss the topics of families, sibling dynamics, family traditions, added responsibilities that come with age, and what the child reader hopes to be like as he or she grows older.

If you would like to buy your own copy of Growing Up with Tamales, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.

If you would like to order this book with the accompanying CD, click here to visit Lorito Books.