The Three Little Tamales

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A. 2009. The Three Little Tamales. Ill. by Valeria Docampo. Tarrytown, New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. ISBN 9780761455196

PLOT SUMMARY

Eric Kimmel adds a new flavor to the story of the three pigs. Urged on by his fans and inspired by his favorite Mexican restaurant, Kimmel tells the story of the three little tamales. Convinced by a passing tortilla to run away from the restaurant where they were made to be eaten, the three tamales make their move. The first builds her home on the prairie, with sweet-smelling sage. The next builds his home in a cornfield, where the music of rustling cornstalks is made. The third, the smart one, runs to the desert, where she makes her home in a sturdy fortress of cactus. All is well until the appearance of Señor Lobo, who threatens to blow the little tamales to Laredo, until he comes up against the cleverness of the smart tamale. Not wanting to be made into a wolf tamale, the wolf disappears forever.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this new variant of the three pigs, Kimmel has missed the mark. While there are parts of the story that are appealing, the overall feeling is of someone attempting to create an authentic cultural representation of the traditional story, and seriously overreaching. In the forward, Kimmel states that, “The Three Little Tamales is a story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ with a Mexican flavor.” If that is the case, the story should be set in Mexico, or the broader Southwest, not specifically in Texas.

There are other issues that are equally difficult to swallow. In the bow to culturalism, Kimmel creates characters that are not quite believable. While it is easy to believe anthropomorphic pigs, or other animals, talking, moving, sentient food doesn’t have the same flavor (no pun intended).  In addition, the three tamales are portrayed as the sexy female, the vacuous male, and the smart female. There is no problem with any of these characters on the surface - they reflect human traits. However, apparently one can only be a sexy tamale if one has a hair ribbon, long lashes, and lipstick. On the other side of things, a smart tamale needs to wear hugely rimmed glasses in order to look intelligent. Of course, the use of these stereotypes was in the hands of Dolores Docampo, and that is where the blame should lie.

On the positive side, Kimmel has some enchanting phrasing as Señor Lobo knocks at each door. The tamales each respond with their own clever rhymes, with slightly different phrasing in each response in order to keep it interesting. Señor Lobo tries to have the last word with the tamales, saying, “I’ll huff and I’ll puff like a Texas tornado and blow your casita from here to Laredo!” The use of familiar phrasing ensures that children will be joining in each time Señor Lobo makes his threats.

Kimmel also invokes the reader’s senses in the use of such words as “sweet smell of sage” and the “music of cornstalks.” The cacti in the desert are “bristling with thorns” and Señor Lobo yelps “Ay! Ay! Ay!” as he crosses the roof of the third tamale’s casita.

Valeria Docampo’s beautiful illustrations are a pleasure to behold. They are bold and colorful, leaving no white space on the page. Docampo is generous with her use of greens, blues, and browns, creating pictures that are detailed, yet simplistic. The first tamale’s dramatic hand to forehead captures the essence of all the heroines in literature who were ever threatened by the evil villain. A non-reader will easily be able to retell The Three Little Tamales with Docampo’s illustrations for support.

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

While I am not enamoured of Kimmel’s variant of The Three Little Pigs, with each reading it has grown on me a little more. This, I believe, is due to two things. The first is the illustrations. They are clean and crisp, and are sure to delight a young child. I like that a non-reader would be able to retell this story through the pictures alone. The second is the rhythmic exchanges between the wolf and the tamales. While it is not the traditional “not by the hair of my chinny chin chin,” it flows well and children will be able to easily chime in after hearing the words a time or two.

My concern as I read this book was this need to take a traditional story and force it into a cultural mold. I agree that each culture’s folktales need to be respected and honored and shared amongst cultures. I just don’t know that I agree that it needs to be done in this manner. What would have been the problem with telling the story of the three pigs using a Southwestern flavor, or just simply translating it into Spanish? When I read a Russian folktale, for instance, I don’t see a need to have the tale set in the United States or for it to have an American twist to it. I like to read Russian folktales, or any other for that matter, because of what they are—tales from a culture other than my own.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Best Children’s Book of the Year 2010 Bank Street College of Education

Children’s Core Collection 2009

School Library Journal: “The colorful artwork combines with a text brimming with humor and sound effects (“Ay! Ay! Ay!”) for a delightful parody sure to satisfy readers’ appetite for fun.”

Society of School Librarians International Book Awards 2009 Honor Book

CONNECTIONS

• This book would also be a great addition to a book study of the many versions of the three pigs. Other versions to include might be:

§  Marshall, James. The Three Little Pigs. ISBN 9780448422886

§  Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.

ISBN 9780689815287

§  Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. ISBN 9780618007011

• For those interested in building and construction, this version of the three pigs, along with any others, would be a fun jumping off point for introducing types of houses and building materials. Students could construct houses of different materials and take turns “huffing and puffing” to see which houses are made of the sturdiest materials.
• This variant of the three pigs would lend itself well to a study of Mexican folktales, or a study of how a folktale can transcend culture. Students could produce their own versions of the three pigs, drawing on their own families’ cultural background. Some Mexican folktales to consider are:

§  Philip, Neil. Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales. ISBN

9780618194636

§  Hayes, Joe. The Day It Snowed Tortillas/El Dia Que Nevaron Tortillas, Folktales Told In Spanish and English. ISBN 9780938317760

§  Hayes, Joe. El Cucuy: A Bogeyman Cuento in English and Spanish.

ISBN 9780938317784

• This book would also be a great book to tie in with Mexican cooking. A guest cook could demonstrate tamale and tortilla cooking, and the students could experience making their own tortillas.