The Last Tamale

*A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection*

Three kids compete in an epic battle for the last tamale at their family's annual tamalada in this vibrant picture book by debut author Orlando Mendiola and celebrated illustrator Teresa Martinez.

It's the best day of the year--tamale day. Luis and his family have been making and eating tamales all day. But when Luis, Jacob, and Letty all want the last tamale, there's only one way to choose a winner...

A TAMALE BATTLE!

Round one: Dance Battle. Round Two: Lucha Libre Match. Round Three: Arm Wrestle with Abuelita.

Who will get the last tamale?

A celebration of family, food, and friendly competition, readers will be hungry for The Last Tamale! Perfect for fans of Paletero Man and Friday Night Wrestle Fest.

Orlando Mendiola is a Mexican American author from San Antonio, Texas. He is a graduate of the New School and the proud owner of three Chihuahuas: Rusty, Ranger, and the famous Pearl. He spent his childhood making tamales with his grandma and family every Christmas. He hopes to inherit his family's secret tamale recipe one day.

Teresa Martinez lived in a small town in the north of Mexico during her childhood, playing in the river, walking with the cows, and feeding the neighbors' pigs. When her family decided to move to a bigger city, she became a very shy girl at school. Drawing helped her connect with other children. Listening to music has helped her imagine different places and times and has been a great source of inspiration. When she grew up, she studied graphic design and traveled to Italy to learn traditional painting techniques. Today she lives in Puerto Vallarta, drawing for kids as she did during her school days, and that makes her happy. You can visit her online at behance.net/teresamtz.