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Tamalitos: Un poema para cocinar / A Cooking Poem
In his fourth cooking poem for young children, Jorge Argueta encourages more creativity and fun in the kitchen as he describes how to make tamalitos from corn masa and cheese, wrapped in cornhusks. In simple, poetic language, Argueta shows young cooks how to mix and knead the dough before dropping a spoonful into a cornhusk, wrapping it up and then steaming the little package. He once again makes cooking a full sensory experience, beating on a pot like a drum, dancing the corn dance, delighting in the smell of corn . . . And at the end, he suggests inviting the whole family to come and enjoy the delicious tamalitos “made of corn with love.” Domi’s vivid paintings, featuring a sister and her little brother making tamalitos together, are a perfect accompaniment to the colorful text.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2013
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Jorge Argueta
45 books24 followersJorge Argueta is a celebrated award-winning poet and author of many highly acclaimed bilingual children's books and short stories, covering themes related to Latino culture and traditions, nature, and the immigrant experience.
A native Salvadoran and Pipil Nahua Indian, Jorge spent much of his childhood in rural El Salvador. He immigrated to the United States in the 1980s during the Salvadoran Civil War.
Jorge lives in San Francisco, California.
A native Salvadoran and Pipil Nahua Indian, Jorge spent much of his childhood in rural El Salvador. He immigrated to the United States in the 1980s during the Salvadoran Civil War.
Jorge lives in San Francisco, California.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 20, 2024
Lindo poema que te muestra la receta para hacer tamales de queso.
Me encantó que este libro fuera bilingüe y nos proporciona las versiones en inglés y español del poema.
El estilo artístico era bonito y se parecía a muchos de los trabajos al estilo tradicionalmente usado en América Latina.
Honestamente, este poema me dio hambre para tamales.
🫔 🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔
Cute poem that shows you the recipe to make cheese tamales.
Loved that this book was bilingual giving us both the English and Spanish versions of the poem.
The art style was pretty and looked similar to alot of the watercolor type work used traditionally in Latin America.
Honestly, this poem made me hungry for tamales.
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Me encantó que este libro fuera bilingüe y nos proporciona las versiones en inglés y español del poema.
El estilo artístico era bonito y se parecía a muchos de los trabajos al estilo tradicionalmente usado en América Latina.
Honestamente, este poema me dio hambre para tamales.
🫔 🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔🫔
Cute poem that shows you the recipe to make cheese tamales.
Loved that this book was bilingual giving us both the English and Spanish versions of the poem.
The art style was pretty and looked similar to alot of the watercolor type work used traditionally in Latin America.
Honestly, this poem made me hungry for tamales.
[image error]
May 11, 2021
I recently read this book when looking for a bilingual story to share with my kindergarten class and I was really impressed with this book. This story is an informative text that details step by step instructions on how to properly prepare Tamalitos authentic to Central America. This text includes instructions written in Spanish as well as in English. The one thing I wish this text had was names given to the characters but other than that it was wonderful. It reflects anti bias criteria by painting the tradition of cooking through the eyes of a Family from Central America. The illustrations are also beautifully painted with water colors and represent the culture of this family and others from Central America authentically.
April 1, 2018
I recently read this poem book about how to make Tamalitos. This book is a very detail poem book. Each poem explains what goes in to making a tamale, along with some history of the tamales. The last poem remind me of when my family and I gather to make tamales and how we gather everyone to come and enjoy them. Great book to read to students around Christmas time, because it’s a very well know in Hispanic culture to make tamales in this time of year.
January 12, 2020
Two siblings make cheese tamalitos for the family together (with no adults in sight, despite the notes in the text about which steps require adult supervision). The text is a set of instructions they're following, but with a lot of joy.
I think the Spanish poetry here is better than the English, but the translation is fine.
I think the Spanish poetry here is better than the English, but the translation is fine.
January 12, 2020
How to make cheese tamales, with much discussion of corn before hand, drumming during, and enjoyment with family afterwards.
The steps marked with a "*" in the text are meant to be done with adult supervision (that note is hidden up front).
The steps marked with a "*" in the text are meant to be done with adult supervision (that note is hidden up front).
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November 20, 2019This is a good book talking about a traditional food. Great to have in classroom and make an assignment out of it.
March 24, 2020
Great Biligual poem book. It tells you how to make tamales in English and Spanish. Would be great to read if you do a dual language class.
May 8, 2025
Me encantó este libro para practicar mi español. ¡que bueno!
May 6, 2015
Tamalitos: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta is a bilingual poetic recipe book.
Central American and other Latino cultures often traditionally eat tamalitos around the time of Christmas and other holiday celebrations. This book recognizes the importance of the dish, and celebrates its simplicity through the fun-filled experience of cooking. It beautifully details the ancestral origin of the main ingredient of tamalitos-corn-then goes on to list the other ingredients and tools that are needed. Argueta poetically details the steps of preparation while intertwining fun aspects such as using the pots as drums, dancing various indigenous corn dances, as well as laughing and singing as the preparation takes place.
The book highlights the way in which cooking can be a healthy and positive activity for children. “The smell of corn makes me happy./These tamalitos will be happy corn tamalitos!”, “The kitchen is happy!/The whole house is happy!” The illustrations reflect this tone by showing subjects that are almost always smiling, and including bright, bold colors that light up the pages.
The book is a great bilingual educational tool as it showcases poetic verses in each language next to one another on each page. Interestingly, and unlike most bilingual books I have reviewed, this book presents the Spanish language as the first, primary passage. This unique approach is beneficial to all readers. Native Spanish readers are prioritized and set at ease by being able to forgo the unnecessary English; while non-Spanish speakers are encouraged in their new language acquisition, as they must first try their hand at understanding before they receive the translation.
Note that this is truly a cooking poem. The poetry provides actual instructions for how to make tamales. Argueta keeps an eye out for younger readers by putting an asterisk beside the passages that detail the parts of preparation requiring parental supervision.
To read our full review including links to classroom resources, visit the Vamos a Leer blog at http://tiny.cc/vamosaleer
Central American and other Latino cultures often traditionally eat tamalitos around the time of Christmas and other holiday celebrations. This book recognizes the importance of the dish, and celebrates its simplicity through the fun-filled experience of cooking. It beautifully details the ancestral origin of the main ingredient of tamalitos-corn-then goes on to list the other ingredients and tools that are needed. Argueta poetically details the steps of preparation while intertwining fun aspects such as using the pots as drums, dancing various indigenous corn dances, as well as laughing and singing as the preparation takes place.
The book highlights the way in which cooking can be a healthy and positive activity for children. “The smell of corn makes me happy./These tamalitos will be happy corn tamalitos!”, “The kitchen is happy!/The whole house is happy!” The illustrations reflect this tone by showing subjects that are almost always smiling, and including bright, bold colors that light up the pages.
The book is a great bilingual educational tool as it showcases poetic verses in each language next to one another on each page. Interestingly, and unlike most bilingual books I have reviewed, this book presents the Spanish language as the first, primary passage. This unique approach is beneficial to all readers. Native Spanish readers are prioritized and set at ease by being able to forgo the unnecessary English; while non-Spanish speakers are encouraged in their new language acquisition, as they must first try their hand at understanding before they receive the translation.
Note that this is truly a cooking poem. The poetry provides actual instructions for how to make tamales. Argueta keeps an eye out for younger readers by putting an asterisk beside the passages that detail the parts of preparation requiring parental supervision.
To read our full review including links to classroom resources, visit the Vamos a Leer blog at http://tiny.cc/vamosaleer
October 5, 2014
Argueta, J. (2013). Tamalitos: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem. Groundwood Books.
Poetry/School Library Journal Review
Picture Book Project
This book is a bilingual poetry book that doubles as an instructional manual for cooking. The poetry book’s text and illustrations show the process of the sibling’s grandmother’s recipe for making this traditional dish. It is written so both younger and older students can appreciate it.
I would love to use this book in my classroom, especially if I had any ESL students who could provide some first-hand insight on the process of cooking tamalitos. The poetry book’s text and illustrations show the process of the sibling’s grandmother’s recipe for making this traditional dish. I would use this book to initiate a lesson on sequencing. A professor of mine once had an activity where he instructed students to write down the steps in order to make a peanut butter sandwich. As easy as this sounds, even college students made the professor make a mess out of some peanut butter and jelly. I think this would be a great introduction to the book and students would become more interested not only in the poetry and story, but also for cooking. It would also be a great way to combine lessons on Central America and healthy cooking/eating. The illustrations paired with the text were in perfect harmony and provided readers with a captivating experience. His use of color and texture really makes the words come alive. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but think about making my own version of tamalitos. The way the words and illustrations were put together, I feel that it was an easy way for people to get a sense of how to cook this dish. It would also be a fun idea to have students select their own favorite dishes, maybe with the help of a parent, and do a short project where students select a dish, write out a recipe, make a poem about it with illustrations, and possible even watch their parents cook it.
Poetry/School Library Journal Review
Picture Book Project
This book is a bilingual poetry book that doubles as an instructional manual for cooking. The poetry book’s text and illustrations show the process of the sibling’s grandmother’s recipe for making this traditional dish. It is written so both younger and older students can appreciate it.
I would love to use this book in my classroom, especially if I had any ESL students who could provide some first-hand insight on the process of cooking tamalitos. The poetry book’s text and illustrations show the process of the sibling’s grandmother’s recipe for making this traditional dish. I would use this book to initiate a lesson on sequencing. A professor of mine once had an activity where he instructed students to write down the steps in order to make a peanut butter sandwich. As easy as this sounds, even college students made the professor make a mess out of some peanut butter and jelly. I think this would be a great introduction to the book and students would become more interested not only in the poetry and story, but also for cooking. It would also be a great way to combine lessons on Central America and healthy cooking/eating. The illustrations paired with the text were in perfect harmony and provided readers with a captivating experience. His use of color and texture really makes the words come alive. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but think about making my own version of tamalitos. The way the words and illustrations were put together, I feel that it was an easy way for people to get a sense of how to cook this dish. It would also be a fun idea to have students select their own favorite dishes, maybe with the help of a parent, and do a short project where students select a dish, write out a recipe, make a poem about it with illustrations, and possible even watch their parents cook it.
November 19, 2013
It’s a great book, in simple, poetic language; the author portrays the whole process with a step-by-step recipe for making corn tamales, helps readers to experience food as culture. This is a great opportunity to elicit and celebrate our children’s culture. Also, given today’s fast-food custom, the wholesome ingredients in these tamalitos and the fun preparation at home bring a great lesson in eating right.
Another plus is the free verse, full of sensorial appealing, and its almost seamless translation (I honestly can determine if it’s a English to Spanish translation or vice versa).
The author used a simple but strongly vivid language that makes reading a full sensory experience, “beating on a pot like a drum, dancing the corn dance, delighting in the smell of corn…”
All this helps hold the interest of readers, and last but not least those amazing, eye-catching illustrations which help to explain the written story.
Another plus is the free verse, full of sensorial appealing, and its almost seamless translation (I honestly can determine if it’s a English to Spanish translation or vice versa).
The author used a simple but strongly vivid language that makes reading a full sensory experience, “beating on a pot like a drum, dancing the corn dance, delighting in the smell of corn…”
All this helps hold the interest of readers, and last but not least those amazing, eye-catching illustrations which help to explain the written story.
May 8, 2013
Filled with delicious words and phrases ("The husk will be like/ a little sheet for the dough" (unpaged)and "...you have a little dough package./ The dough is like a little pillow/ in the middle of the husk" (unpaged), this poem celebrates the delights of cooking tamalitos. Part recipe and cookbook and part history lesson about corn, the poem provides step by step directions that are guaranteed to make just about anyone want to cook. What is most interesting about this author and his poems celebrating food and cooking is just how involved in the process the two characters are. For him and them, cooking little tamales requires all the senses. The watercolor illustrations add immeasurably to the joy of cooking. Yummmmmm!
July 27, 2013
F
Salvadoran Argueta wrote a fun recipe book and the translator, Elisa Amado, has done an amazing job of rendering this verse into playful English that makes you want to eat and dance! Domis colourful watercolour illustrations are bright and cheerful and reflect all the colours of the many different kinds of corn.
This is the most cheerful recipe book I have every read, and we were very happy to see that this is part of a series. The other bilingual cooking poems include Guacamole, Bean Soup and Rice Pudding, which all look amazing.
Salvadoran Argueta wrote a fun recipe book and the translator, Elisa Amado, has done an amazing job of rendering this verse into playful English that makes you want to eat and dance! Domis colourful watercolour illustrations are bright and cheerful and reflect all the colours of the many different kinds of corn.
This is the most cheerful recipe book I have every read, and we were very happy to see that this is part of a series. The other bilingual cooking poems include Guacamole, Bean Soup and Rice Pudding, which all look amazing.
February 20, 2014
I love all of Jorge Argueta's "cooking poems." This one begins with a mention of archeology and Mayan mythology, and then drumming and dancing are worked into the recipe. The students I read it to enjoyed talking about tamales their families make and their favorite kind. The illustrations by Domi are filled with big splashes of watery color. The faces have some crazy grins that I don't like, but I think it's a great idea to have different illustrators for each book. I prefer the metaphor-filled poetry in the other books, like Guacamole, but Tamalitos is a worthy addition to the series.
October 26, 2016
This book explains the process of making tamales through poetry. It tells you the steps and the ingredients needed to make Tamales. It has the Spanish version and the English version of the poem in each page.
The books illustrations are appealing, they are not the traditional characters they are unique in appearance. The drawings allow the children to see how to make tamales. I like that the book has English and Spanish. This book goes with my text set because tamales are a part of the Latino culture and will enable children to see and possibly spark interest in making tamales themselves.
The books illustrations are appealing, they are not the traditional characters they are unique in appearance. The drawings allow the children to see how to make tamales. I like that the book has English and Spanish. This book goes with my text set because tamales are a part of the Latino culture and will enable children to see and possibly spark interest in making tamales themselves.
July 29, 2013
A cooking poem in bilingual text about the process of making tamalitos. Watercolor illustrations.
Text is full of delicious phrases making this a great read aloud. If you're not hungry by the end of this book, read it again! PreK-2.
Text is full of delicious phrases making this a great read aloud. If you're not hungry by the end of this book, read it again! PreK-2.
November 2, 2014
This is essentially a recipe for tamalitos, little tamales, in the form of a poem. I do enjoy food related books. The poetry was fun. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations though.
January 31, 2014
Now I want some Tamales. This might be an El Corporal night:)
June 11, 2014
Jorge Argueta presents a delicious book full of cooking poems. The poems walk the reader through making tamales. This story incorporates bilingual language as well as culture.
January 3, 2015
This is a delightful insight into the fun tradition of making tamalitos. So cute and vibrant. I love the watercolor illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews