The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story

Rudolfo Anaya
Amy Cordova , Illustrator

Spanish translation by Enrique R. Lamadrid

The First Tortilla is a moving, bilingual story of courage and discovery. A small Mexican village is near starvation. There is no rain, and the bean and squash plants are dying.

Jade, a young village girl, is told by a blue hummingbird to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit. Then it will send the needed rain.

Burning lava threatens her, but Jade reaches the top of the volcano. The Mountain Spirit is pleased. It allows the ants in a nearby cave to share their corn with Jade. The corn was sweet and delicious and Jade took some back to save the village.

Jade grinds the dry corn, adds water, and makes dough. She pats the masa and places it on hot stones near the fire. She has made the first tortilla. Soon the making of corn tortillas spreads throughout Mexico and beyond.

Reading level: grade 3 and up

The First Tortilla won the Land of Enchantment Book Award, a children's book award designed to encourage New Mexico youth to read books of high literary quality. The award is sponsored by the New Mexico Library Association and the New Mexico International Reading Association.

"...a beautiful bilingual book...the spiritual dimension with which Anaya has infused the legend...makes this book a valuable literary resource..."--Hispanic Business News

"...Cordova's superb illustrations weave the storyline across page turns....a good addition to an established Latino folklore collection."--REFORMA Newsletter

"Amy Córdova's illustrations complement the spirituality Anaya has infused to this legend, and Enrique Lamadrid's expert translation into Spanish make this book an important contribution to Spanish children's literature in the U.S."--Santa Fe New Mexican

"An ingenious retelling of a traditional Mexican folktale, vibrantly illustrated by prize-winning cultural activist Amy Cordova."--Midwest Book Review

"Anaya has retold a Mexican legend and made it his own with his spiritual prose...A beautifully written and illustrated title."--School Library Journal

"Rudolfo Anaya continues his inspired journey into the world of bilingual children's literature with 'The First Tortilla,' an enchanting story sprung from the folklore of Mexico."--The Pueblo Chieftain, CO

"This book is the total package: a Mexican folk tale in two languages and stunning, colorful illustrations that capture the beauty and culture of the tale."--Catholic Observer

Rudolfo Anaya, widely acclaimed as one of the founders of modern Chicano literature, is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. Anaya was presented with the National Medal of Arts for literature in 2001 and his novel Alburquerque (the city's original Spanish spelling) won the PEN Center West Award for Fiction. He has also received the Premio Quinto Sol, the national Chicano literary award, the American Book Award from The Before Columbus Foundation, the Mexican Medal of Friendship from the Mexican Consulate, and the Western Literature Associationâ??s Distinguished Achievement Award. He is best known for the classic Bless Me Ultima.

Amy Cordova lives in Taos, New Mexico, where she is co-owner of her own gallery, Enger-Cordova Fine Art. She has illustrated many childrens' books and teaches art to elementary school children at the Yaxche Learning Center.

10 x 8.5 32 pages 16 color illustrations