Book Information:The genre of this book is multicultural and folktale. The reading level is PK-second grade.Summary:This book is about three tamales that build houses out of sage brush, corn stocks, and cactus. It is very similar to the three little pigs story. There is a wolf that blows down two of the houses and the two tamales that had their houses blown down go to the house made of catus. The wolf is not able to blow down her house. The three little tamales end up having a fiesta after the wolf is defeated. This is a good book to read to students because the story of the three little pigs is very popular and a lot of people know it. So by reading this story, students will already have an idea about what is going to happen. But they will also be surprised about the differences between the two stories.Instructional Information:This book could be used for a lesson on folktales. Since this book is based on the original folktale of the three little pigs this book would be a great way for kids to use venn diagrams to list the similarities and differences between both stories and the cultures.Contextual Information:The themes of this book are multicultural, folktale, and friendship. Mexican ethnicity is addressed in the book through the folk tale and the main characters being tamales. This book is also written for both genders and is a fun book to incorporate different cultures into your classroom.Kimmel, E., & Decampo, V. (2012). The three little tamales. Two Lions. In a delightful retelling of the three little pigs story, Eric Kimmel creates three tamale characters, two sisters and a brother. The first tamale is portrayed as silly and less than intelligent. Her facial expressions bring to mind the stereotype of a blonde teenager. The second tamale is a macho guy who is is portrayed as unintelligent with his house of cornstalks. The third tamale is a girl who wears glasses, indicating her intelligence. The wolf is the stereotypical bad wolf who is hungry and ruthless, yet a bit silly when foiled by his attempt to blow down the last house.The rhymes between the wolf and each tamale have a mix of English and Spanish words. The first two tamales try to placate the wolf by calling him lindo (lovely) and guapo (handsome). The smart tamale calls him tonto (foolish) with a sassy attitude. The humor is evident throughout the story in the words and illustrations. Young readers with find the characters delightful and the story fun Valeria Docampo's illustrations are bright and lively. The bright colors and scenes of the prairie, cornfield, and desert depict southwestern America. The characters are drawn with comical facial expressions and silly gestures. The illustrations follow the story, and flow perfectly with the events.
What do You think about The Three Little Tamales (2012)?
I liked this spin on the 3 Little pigs. It's clever, regional and has nice use of Spanish.
—trees
fun twist on the three little pigs.loved the mini Spanish vocab lesson, as well.
—holidays
So cute! Especially if read aloud with an accent. My kids loved it.
—domjac
A fun take on the classic Three Little Pigs.
—Diva0997
