Why This Book?
Maria is feeling so grown-up, wearing her mother's apron and helping to knead the masa for the Christmas corn tamales. Her mother even let Maria wear some perfume and lipstick for the big family celebration that evening. When her mother takes off her diamond ring so it won't become coated with the messy masa, Maria decides that life would be perfect if she could wear the ring, too. Trouble begins when she sneakily slips the sparkly ring on her thumb and resumes her kneading. Uh oh. It is not until later that night, after all the tamales have been cooked and after all her cousins and relatives have arrived, that Maria suddenly realizes what must have happened to the precious ring. Ed Martinez's warm oil paintings celebrate the riches of South American Christmas colors--adobe reds, dusty gold, lacey whites, and rain-forest greens. Martinez also has a gift for capturing children's animated expressions, especially when Maria begs her cousins to help her find the missing ring by secretly eating the enormous stack of steaming tamales! Gary Soto’s classic holiday tale follows Maria and her cousins as they search through a mountain of tamales to find a lost ring. It captures family, food, and cultural traditions with warmth and humor.
- Introduces food vocabulary in two languages.
- Highlights problem-solving and cooperation.
- Celebrates family traditions around food.
Montessori Connections
- Practical Life & Sensorial: Simple cooking or food preparation activity (kneading dough, measuring ingredients).
- Language: Food 3-part cards in English and Spanish.
- Math & Order: Sequence steps in a recipe or cooking process.
- Art & Expression: Children draw their favorite family food and label it bilingually.
Music & Movement
Clap rhythms while naming favorite foods in English and Spanish.
Family Connections
Encourage families to cook a simple dish together, naming ingredients in both languages.
Montessori Big Idea
Practical life skills—measuring, pouring, mixing—connect seamlessly to food traditions and cultural learning.
Try This at Home
Make a bilingual shopping list with your child. For example: leche/milk, pan/bread.
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