Tamalitos

Tamalitos
Un poema para cocinar / A Cooking Poem
Jorge Argueta
Illustrated by Domi
2013

With the arrival of the holidays (and during other special occasions) comes the arrival of delicious tamales. Tamales are cooked frequently throughout the year, often for special occasions. These can include the Dia de Muertos, Thanksgiving, Christmas, to celebrate Los Reyes Magos, and more. Tamalitos is a bilingual book telling a little bit about the history of tamales, including their place in Mesoamerican cultures centuries ago, and giving directions on how to cook tamales. The illustrations look like beautiful watercolors, and the ollas and other pans that are used in the story look just like the ones you might find in your own home. What I love about this book is that it is also a recipe for making tamales – you can follow the directions and have your own tamales in no time! The soft poetry language tells you how long to steam, how to roll the masa into the husks, and contains illustrations to match. A very useful book, and a delicious one to read and enjoy. Once you have read this book and have cooked the delicious tamales, all you have to do is add good family and a Cantinflas movie and you have a good day.