Virtual Book Tour: The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred {GIVEAWAY}

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred

by Samantha R. Vamos

Illustrated by Rafael López

The LBBC’s recommendation for March’s Libro del Mes, is Samantha R. Vamos’ The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred.

A few years ago, we were proud to announce the first book of a new author. This year, we are excited to launch Samantha’s Virtual Book Tour for her second book, which released this month.

Written in the same rhyming format as that of “The House That Jack Built”, Cazuela gives this classic rhyme a bilingual twist. It all begins with a pretty farm girl who gets out her pot to start cooking something sabroso. Before you know it, the farmer and all the farm animals are chipping in – leche from the vaca, limón from the burro, etc. - each one contributing an ingredient for the bubbling pot.

The book is written in English and the reader is introduced to simple words in Spanish such as the names of the animals, and the foods they are sharing. The book introduces the words first in English, and then in Spanish so that the meaning is easily understood by non-Spanish speakers. And just in case, a glossary with a pronunciation guide has been included in the back of the book for your convenience. There is also a delicious recipe at the back of the book for making arroz con leche.

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred contains 21 Spanish words embedded in the text on every page. The repetitive format not only gives structure to the story, but also helps the reader to retain the introduced words. This book is best suited for English-dominant and bilingual families.

A sample passage:

"This is the duck

that went to the market

to buy the sugar

to flavor the LECHE

made fresh by the VACA

while teaching the CABRA

that churned the CREMA

to make the MANTEQUILLA

that went into the CAZUELA that the farm maiden stirred."

Rafael López’s illustrations are vibrant and warm and engaging, making this picture book a visual delight for children and parents alike. Through his art, Rafael helps to bring Samantha’s story to life, and he does it in such a way as to convey the underlying theme of cooperation and community within the story.

This book is suited for children of all ages. It is great for read-alouds and both infants and older children will benefit from the rhythmic text. Families and teachers will love the opportunities this book creates to discuss the following themes: rural life, farms, farm animals, food, recipes, team work/cooperation, rhyming/verse, friendship, fiestas, fantasy vs. reality, and many more. You can find an activity and discussion guide on Samantha’s website.

This week you will have wonderful opportunities to learn more about the book, as well as Samantha Vamos and Rafael López, as they share their stories with the other blogs hosting this Virtual Blog Tour. This week’s schedule is listed below.

Monday, February 28th – The Latin Baby Book Club

Tuesday, March 1st – The Tiki Tiki Blog

Wednesday, March 2nd – La Bloga

Thursday, March 3rd – Mama Latina Tips

Friday, March 4th – Spanglish Baby

THE GIVEAWAY

By leaving a comment on each blog, you will receive five chances to win a signed copy of the book. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and notified via email.

To enter the giveaway here on the LBBC, simply leave a comment sharing your favorite childhood recipe/dish.

If you would like to buy your own copy of The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store.