The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred - Samantha R. Vamos, Rafeal Vamos

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos illus. by Rafael Lopez
This story was as beautiful as I thought it would be. With some help from the farm animals the farm maiden makes Arroz con Leche. This is not a traditional bilingual story, with two languages, lado a lado.

This is the pot, that the farm maiden stirred,

This is the butter that went into the cazuela that the farm maiden stirred

This is the goat
that churned the cream
to make the mantequilla
that went into the cazuela that the farm maiden stirred.

Rather then have the two languages side by side, Vamos will use a word once in English and replace it with it's Spanish counterpart in the next stanza. It's a very smart way to learn a few new Spanish words. This is a tribute to the nursery The House That Jack Built and it keeps the same quick pace rhythm.

I love the movement of text. The stories beautiful flow and Lopez gorgeous illustrations make this a wonderful read aloud. Lopez is not afraid of color and knows how to use it. The illustrations pop off the pages. Vamos and Lopez come together to create a wonderful story that screams "read me aloud and share me with others" There's a recipe for rice pudding in the back and a glossary of Spanish terms.