Senorita Gordita

by Helen Ketteman, Will Terry (Illustrator)

Overview

2013 IRA-CBC Children's Choices

In this Tex-Mex retelling of The Little Gingerbread Man, Senorita Gordita--a little corn cake-- escapes from the frying pan and leads a merry chase. She runs through the desert boasting, "You'll never catch me!" while fleeing from a spider, a rattler, and other hungry creatures "with a flip, and a skip, and a zip-zoom-zip." A fast-paced and wildly illustrated twist on an old favorite.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807573037
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Helen Ketteman is the author of more than nineteen picture books. She writes for children ranging from preschool through fourth or fifth grade, and especially enjoys telling fractured fairy tales. Helen earned her Associate of Arts degree from Young Harris College in Young Harris, GA, and her B.A. degree in English from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Will Terry has illustrated more than twenty picture books including The Three Little Gators and Little Rooster's Diamond Button. He teaches illustration part-time at Utah Valley State College, creates ebook apps, and lives in Utah.

Editorial Reviews

Gordita,” a word that is both a Mexican endearment (it’s the equivalent of calling someone a “little dumpling”) and the name of tortilla-based street food, inspires this Spanish language–seasoned variation on “The Gingerbread Man” from the duo behind The Three Little Gators and Armadilly Chili. Ketteman’s text skitters along thanks to the feisty, catchphrase-laden declarations of the taunting, deep-fried antiheroine. “I am rather fine-looking, aren’t I?” Gordita tells one potential nemesis. “But I airstreamed Araña, gassed past Lagarto, and cruised past Crótolo. So put down your zinger of a stinger, Escorpión. You’ll never catch me!” Terry’s illustrations are sometimes undermined by an odd and at times frustrating haziness, but for the most part they have the vivacity of graffiti and Mexican street art, rendered with exaggerated dimensionality and spray-paint colors. As for his long-lashed, sassy Gordita (who is stylish to boot in her cowboy hat with pink ribbon trim), she exudes just enough snark that children won’t mind her gustatory comeuppance. A recipe for gorditas and a glossary of Spanish terms are included. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

2013 IRA-CBC Children's Choices

"Ketteman playfully mixes English and Spanish throughout the book, making it a perfect selection for bilingual families, new Spanish speakers, and anyone who enjoys a delicioso variation on an old favorite."—Booklist

"The art is full of Southwestern charm and depicts the setting accurately. Gordita is sassy, the other animals shifty and speedy, and these elements all add up to a yummy folktale."—School Library Journal

"A welcome retelling, particularly suited for reading aloud to groups."—Kirkus Reviews

"Ketteman's text skitters along…Terry's illustrations…have the vivacity of grafitti and Mexican street art…As for his long-lashed, sassy Gordita…she exudes just enough snark that children won't mind her gustatory comeuppance."—Publishers Weekly

"This regional retelling of The Gingerbread Man from a celebrated author-illustrator team is a winner!…This book begs to be read aloud, and be prepared for your listeners to join in during the refrain, 'with a flip and a skip and a zip-zoom-zip.'"—Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—In a book that combines food and folktales, the Little Gingerbread Boy is transported to the American Southwest. He also receives a gender and cuisine switch to become a thick, fried, corn masa tortilla known as Señorita Gordita, who escapes numerous desert predators until she is tricked by an owl sitting atop a saguaro cactus. Terry's illustrations emphasize the menacing nature of critters such as Araña, the spider, along with a snake and a scorpion.

School Library Journal

A sassy gordita attempts to outwit a bevy of desert creatures in this retelling of "The Gingerbread Man." Ketteman and Terry (The Three Little Gators, 2009) reteam for this cumulative tale centered on the escapades of a fleet-footed, deep-fried corn cake. From her humble beginnings in the oven of Araña (spider), Señorita Gordita sets off across the Southwestern desert, besting the spider, a lizard, a rattlesnake, a scorpion, a javalina and a coyote. All of these animals are eager to enjoy a taste of the feisty, chatty snack, but "with a flip and a skip and a zip-zoom-zip," Señorita Gordita manages to escape them all. When she arrives at the saguaro where Búho (owl) awaits, she may have finally met her match. The author introduces young readers to Spanish vocabulary through desert geography, flora and fauna, including all of the animals in the tale. Although saguaros and regional clichés abound, the illustrator's use of brilliant colors and humor will hold the attention of younger and older readers, as will Señorita Gordita's parting words to each of the animals she escapes. The author's inclusion of a recipe for gorditas rectifies the story's abrupt ending. A welcome retelling, particularly suited for reading aloud to groups. (Spanish glossary, recipe) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews