Where do you get inspiration for your books?
Every day experiences regularly prompt story threads in my mind. On occasion, I try to stitch together some of the threads into stories.
The idea for The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred popped into my head one morning while making pancakes. Lacking two ingredients, I thought how much more fun it would be if I lived on a farm and the cow was kind enough to provide a cup of fresh milk and the hen offered an egg. I began walking around my kitchen making up my story based upon the rhythm and format of the familiar nursery rhyme, “The House That Jack Built.”
Like the nursery rhyme, The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred is a cumulative tale. In this case, the action builds as a few Spanish words repeat.
Five different farm animals (goat, cow, duck, donkey, and hen) and their farmer each contribute ingredients to a pot (the “cazuela”) stirred by the farm maiden. A surprise dish is created (rice pudding or “arroz con leche”) and at the book’s end, an actual recipe is provided. There is also a glossary with a pronunciation guide.
I never finished making pancakes that morning, but I did manage to write a first draft of my story!
Why did you decide to make your books bilingual?
Originally, I had no intent to write bilingual books.
In 1998, I wrote a manuscript titled “Before You Were Here.” I sold it that year to a William Morrow imprint (an imprint is a publishing house division that has a distinct brand name). Shortly thereafter, HarperCollins acquired William Morrow and at HarperCollins, my manuscript sat with no plan for publication. Fortunately, I received a release, permitting me to shop the manuscript again.
Five years later, I was writing new stories and revising old manuscripts. My literary agent asked if I had ever considered writing any bilingual manuscripts. Recognizing that the family is a very significant element of Latin American culture, as it is in many cultures, I realized that my original English manuscript about a family might appeal if rewritten to incorporate Spanish. As I incorporated Spanish words, the text flowed differently – the words sounded more intimate and tender. The text resonated more with me because the bilingual manner of speaking reminded me of the way I had heard language spoken as a child.
Do you have any other books coming out?
In Fall 2013, Charlesbridge will publish my third children’s picture book, Alphabet Trucks, which is a rhyming, alphabet book about twenty-six different trucks and how they serve people and their communities. Ryan O’Rourke (www.ryanorourke.com) is the illustrator and I am excited to see his work.
While writing the manuscript, I spent so much time playing with the rhyme and trying out various stanzas that both my son and I ended up memorizing it. Later, when riding on the highway, if we saw a truck featured in the story, we’d excitedly recite the manuscript from A to Z. After that experience, it was especially wonderful to learn that the manuscript sold.
Do you have any tips for teachers using your books in their classroom?
I am happy to offer a few ideas specific to each of my books.
Before You Were Here, Mi Amor includes shapes, colors, animals, numbers, and family member titles in Spanish. To reinforce words, download the following activity sheets: Word Match and Word Search Puzzle.
Consider downloading the activity sheet titled What Happened Before You Were Here? for children to utilize to interview their family members. Encourage students to record answers received in order to create their own story about what happened before they were born.
As the definition of “family” is an individual one, invite children to create a collage-style display of drawings and/or photos reflecting who constitutes their family. Discuss the meaning of “relatives” and create a “family tree” assignment that students may complete with their families. Send home a family tree template including space for names, titles (uncle, aunt, grandfather, etc.), relevant dates, and locations. Encourage older children to write a sentence describing or providing an interesting anecdote about each family member.
The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred is a cumulative tale in which the action, characters and language build and repeat, leading to a quick and abrupt climax. In a cumulative tale, generally one incident – in the case of The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred, the farm maiden stirring the pot or cazuela – is the catalyst for a series of events. Cumulative tales also may be songs and include rhyming.
Discuss the meaning, rhythm, repetition, and often tongue-twisting nature of a cumulative tale. Introduce cumulative tales such as “This Is The House That Jack Built,” “The Gingerbread Man,” “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly,” “The Napping House,” and “Bark, George.” Encourage children to try writing their own cumulative tales.
My publisher created a wonderful Discussion and Activity Guide, which includes illustrated vocabulary flashcards, which also may be used for Bingo. There is also a separate Word Match that may be downloaded as well.
Prepare the recipe for Arroz con Leche.
Discuss the structure of a picture book. Identify the book jacket including front cover, back cover, front flap with a paragraph summary of the story, and back flap with author and illustrator biographies. Identify the spine, title page, and back matter such as the glossary in Before You Were Here, Mi Amor or the recipe in The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred. Identify the author, illustrator, and publisher. Locate the publication date and inscription. Have children design a book jacket for a story they create.
See a full list of activities to accompany each book at samanthavamos.com/activities
About the Author:
Samantha is a children’s picture book author of The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (Charlesbridge, 2011, illustrations Rafael López) – 2012 Pura Belpré Honor, ALSC 2012 Notable Children’s Book, NYPL “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing,” Before You Were Here, Mi Amor (Viking, 2009) – 2010 WA State Book Award, and Alphabet Trucks (2013).
Samantha attended Georgetown University Law Center (L’89) and practiced law in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois. Samantha and her family live near Seattle, Washington. Please visit Samantha online at http://www.samanthavamos.com.