Burro's Tortillas

Poor little burro - he notices the white corn in the fields is very tall now, and it makes him hungry for tortillas! Thinking he could get the corn picked quicker with his friends helping, Burro seeks out Bobcat, Coyote, and Jackrabbit. All three make up excuses why they can't help. So Burro picks the corn himself. After he lugs the corn home, he needs to remove the kernels. Again, he asks his three friends for help; again, they have reasons why they can't help. And so it goes throughout the story. Burro has to do everything by himself with no help from his friends. It's a good thing burros are stubborn by nature! I loved the ending to this story, and thoroughly enjoyed learning how to make tortillas! Author Terri Fields does a terrific job giving excellent voice to her four characters. Her story mixes together a vocabulary of Spanish words, the method used in the making of tortillas, and the way not to act if you're somebody's friend. She then sprinkles in some puns and fun words in her dialog, making this a fun book to read when coupled with the whimsical and vividly southwestern colored illustrations of Sherry Rogers. This is one of those quiet books that I highly recommend for young readers who want to read a fun story, learn some Spanish words, and learn how to make tortillas, all at the same time! As with all Sylvan Dell books, the story is followed by an educational section at the end "For Creative Minds" and includes: "Corn: From Plant To Table"; "A 'How Many Ways We Eat Corn' Activity"; "Making Tortillas: A Recipe"; and "A Spanish/English Vocabulary Matching Activity". Gayle Jacobson-Huset,Assistant Editor Stories for Children Magazine

This summer I asked my great nephew to read Burro's Tortilla's to his younger sister. As I listened closely to the creative character voices that this eight year old imagined, I also helped him with the new Spanish words in the story. As a former teacher, I loved the message of this story especially since children often want instant gratification without working for it. This is a story about team work, work ethic, and consequences. The glossary in the back was fantastic and the recipe for tortillas a great idea!!!!

When Burro discovers that the corn has grown tall, he can think of only one thing. Tortillas! But Burro has a hard time getting his friends inspired to help him in even one step of the tortilla-making process. Well, maybe just the one tasty step. In this Southwestern retelling of The Little Red Hen, children are exposed to the traditional process of tortilla making. In addition, they may pick up a little Spanish. Also, as Sylvan Dell does, there are activities in the final pages "For Creative Minds," which expand upon some of the things touched on in the book. My children really enjoyed this story. There are bright, lively illustrations that stimulate little minds and a familiar plot that makes them exclaim with delight, "Hey! This is like...." We all enjoyed figuring out what the Spanish words meant and learning how corn tortillas are made. As far as read-aloud potential, it was a wash. There are quite a few Spanish words that I found unfamiliar (after three years of Spanish classes) and no pronunciation guide for them. So, for the more "perfectionistic" of us, the children may be taught incorrectly. However, the puns are wonderfully entertaining. So, after you figure out how to pronounce the Spanish, you will probably enjoy reading this with your kids. Armchair Interviews says: A mix of fine illustrations and a good story.

If children like the nursery tale "Little Red Hen," they will love Terri Field's Spanish version in Burro's Tortillas! This humorous tale of a burro who works hard to pick his corn and takes it through the process until the corn kernels becomes delicious tortillas. Yet, his friends bobcat, coyote, and jackrabbit aren't interested in helping with the hard work until it comes time to eat the tortillas! The book introduces Spanish words like "tortilla", "metate", "yo no", and "mis amigos". What a delightful way to learn aspects of another culture and language. In addition, there is a recipe for tortillas in the activity section. Sherry Rogers' entertaining illustrations are back with Sylvan Dell in this welcomed book. Children will eagerly spot baby burro in each spread, though he is not mentioned in the text. A preschool or early elementary class will have fun with a corn-growing unit, ending with the making of tortillas. A delightful, must have book for home and school libraries.