Product Description

Even at the advanced age of seven, Magda Madrigal can remember back to when she was a little girl and would watch her abuela making tortillas. Having studied techniques of a master, she now feels confident of her own ability to turn out beautiful, delicious, and round tortillas. But somehow the rolling pin and the kitchen comal still hold a few surprises for the perplexed Magda and for her delighted family. Great art isn't always pretty, but in the case of "tortilla artist" Magda Madrigal at least it's tasty.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #744419 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05
• Original language: Spanish
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Grade 2-4-Magda Madrigal is turning seven years old and her grandmother has promised to teach her how to make tortillas. She knows it is important to copy her grandmother's every move so that her tortillas will turn out round and perfectly formed. But it isn't as easy as it looks. All of Magda's attempts result in fanciful shapes: stars, hearts, bananas, hexagons, and lakes. She is very frustrated by what she sees as her failed attempts until she hears her family's delight and bathes in their praise of her first tortillas. Unfortunately for this heartwarming story, the Spanish text does not read as smoothly as the English. The translator tried too hard to render the English phrases into Spanish, resulting in stilted syntax. Despite this weakness, the translation is serviceable, and the subject covered will be well received by Mexican American readers for portraying their culture. The full-color illustrations feature a wide-eyed Magda in every scene. The artist has done a wonderful job of depicting a handsome Hispanic American family. A great pick for story-time activities in school and public libraries. Recommended for all bilingual collections. M.O.B.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-On Magda's seventh birthday, her grandmother gives her a cooking lesson. The child struggles with the warm, soft dough, but cannot produce perfect, round tortillas like Abuela's. When the woman points out that the girl's pancake is shaped like a heart, her granddaughter is surprised, but still determined to make a round one. Subsequent efforts turn out other shapes-a star, a banana, and a hexagon, among others-all of which are served at Magda's merienda (afternoon snack in honor of a birthday). Though she is embarrassed by her creations and afraid everyone will laugh at her, her family is delighted with the shaped treats. Her Mam' calls her a "tortilla artist" and her uncle takes pictures. When Magda's cousins beg Abuela to teach them to bake, too, she tells them that she can only teach them how to make the dough, but that Madga holds the secret for making the special designs. The story is told in English and Spanish. Single-spread illustrations, generous in shape and color, capture the girl's exhilaration and enrich the flavors of the story. Abuela and Magda's periwinkle aprons and bright-colored clothing stand out against the warm butterscotch shades of the kitchen. The book has a celebratory tone blended with gentle themes of individuality and acceptance. Pair this with Gary Soto's Too Many Tamales (Putnam, 1993) for a festive ethnic treat.
Carolyn Stacey, Jefferson County Public Library, Arvada, CO
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Magda is excited about her seventh birthday; her aubela is showing her how to make tortillas. But no matter how hard Magda tries to roll the dough into round spheres, she can't. Stars, hearts, and birds appear out of the dough, but no circles. Magda is embarrassed when the family comes in to celebrate her birthday with tortillas, but everyone is intrigued by the super-shaped edibles--and Grandmother puts a shine on the party by proclaiming Magda an artist. The warmth and affection between Magda and her grandmother will resonate with children who have similar relationships. The oversize artwork is colorful, though the characters are often on the stiff side, and unfortunately many of the pictures feature family members just standing or looking at each other. The English appears at the top of the text page; the Spanish translation, by Julia Mercedes Castilla, appears at the bottom, with the text blocks separated by a small charming cameo of Magda's tortillas. A glossary might have been nice, but most of the Spanish words in the English text can be gleaned through the context. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Excellent children's bilingual book
This book is an excellent children's book with both cultural and social viewpoints expressed in both Spanish and English. An excellent choice for any child's library.

Loved this book!
Magda's Tortillas is beautifully illustrated and the story was loved by my kindergarten class. It is a good way to teach children that their art, in this case making tortillas, does not have to be exactly like the model; rather, the difference makes their art much more valuable, leaving the artist's thumb print in the final product.