My name is Ana.
Gwendolyn Zepeda\'s rhythmic prose is combined with April Ward\'s bright illustrations to create an affectionate and amusing story about sibling relationships that introduces an important Hispanic holiday tradition -- making tamales.
And maybe Ana will even let Lidia work for her.
When Christmas comes around, Ana will deliver Tamales to all of her customers around the world, in delivery trucks that say Ana\'s Tamales.
When she turns eighteen, though, Ana knows she will keep making Tamales and she will be able to do all of the steps herself in her very own factory.
Ana envies her elder sibling and wishes she could do what Lidia does: put just the right amount of meat inside the Tamales and roll them up; steam the Tamales without scalding herself with the hot, hot steam; chop and cook the meat for the Tamales without cutting or burning her hands.
But every year, big sister Lidia is always two years older.
And so the years pass, and Ana turns eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen.
I wish I was eight, so that my hands would be big enough to spread the dough just right--not too thick and not too thin.
My sister Lidia is eight, so she gets to spread the dough on the corn husk leaves.
This year, I am six, so I get to mix the dough, which is made of cornmeal.
Every year, my family makes Tamales for Christmas.
My name is Ana
