Tamales for Christmas
by Stephen Briseño; illus. by Sonia Sánchez
Primary    Random House Studio/Random    40 pp.
10/24    9780593647813    $18.99
Library ed.  9780593647820    $21.99
e-book ed.  9780593647837    $10.99
Spanish ed.  9780593897515    $18.99

Each year, Grandma makes tamales to sell so she can make Christmas magical for her familia. “With masa in one hand, corn husks in the other, Grandma’s just getting started…Grandma is tenacious…Grandma’s at it again,” etc. Punctuated with this changing refrain, Briseño’s inspiring text, from the point of view of a grandchild, is full of awe for this impressive matriarch. The pages count the tamales that Grandma makes—in dozens—all the way to “1,000 dozen tamales!” Sánchez’s expressive pastel-style illustrations, rendered digitally with handmade brushes and textures, perfectly capture a loving and boisterous family who are happiest when they’re together. Concurrently published in Spanish as Tamales para Navidad.

From the ">November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.