Independent Reading Level: 3rd-5th Grade
Awards: Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choices of 1993

Reading Level: 9-10

SUCH a cute story and realisitic, if this was my problem, i would of done the same (x

"The whole family is coming for Christmas, so Maria and her parents are busy making tamales—Maria helps Mom knead the masa, and her father puts them in the pot to boil. While they're working, Maria secretly tries on Mom's diamond ring, then forgets about it until she's playing with her cousins. Since it's not on her thumb she's sure it's in a tamale, so the four cousins consume all 24 (with some difficulty) in hopes of finding it. No luck—the ring's on Mom's finger, after all. In this family, there's no scolding: Aunt Rosa says, ``It looks like we all have to cook up another batch,'' and so they do, three generations laughing and working together. Soto's simple text is charmingly direct; he skips explanations, letting characters reveal themselves by what they do. Martinez's realistic, nicely composed paintings are glowing with light and life, while he reinforces the story with particularly expressive faces and gestures. This one should become a staple on the holiday menu." www.kirkusreviews.com

Summary: Maria and her cousins trying to eat their way through to find the ring that Maria thought she embedded within the tamales.