Josefina Cannot Make Round Tortillas

By Miguel Sepulveda

Ten-year-old Josefina wants to make fresh tortillas just like her mother, who also learned to make tortillas from her mother. Creating homemade tortillas is an expression of love for family and friends. From kitchen safety to measuring ingredients, Josefina absorbs all the information her mother teaches her about cooking. As excited as she is about learning something new, Josefina never imagined making this family favorite would be so difficult, especially molding them into their classic round shape. Hers come out in funny shapes, and her twin brothers tease her about the odd-looking tortillas. Josefina’s parents try to keep the peace between the bickering children, but the teasing and arguing leads to a major confrontation within in the family. A book for young readers, Josefina Cannot Make Round Tortillas tells a story of determination, encouragement, forgiveness, and a family’s love for each other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Dec 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483468396

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Sepulveda

Copyright © 2017 Miguel Sepulveda.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Illustrated by Maria Alicia Martinez

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6840-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6839-6 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 11/27/2017

Chapter 1

Teach Me, Mama

T he full moon, bright and beaming in the night sky, waits for dreamers and their dreams. On this night, ten-year-old Josefina sits on the front porch swing with a cool breeze blowing gently on her face. She gazes at the moon and dreams of doing great things. Great things like being an astronaut or maybe an artist or—who knows—maybe even president.

Inside the house, Josefina’s father and mother are cleaning up after supper. The family has finished eating one of Mama’s specialties, mole¹ with rice and beans. Josefina’s twelve-year-old twin brothers, José and Lupe, are in their bedroom playing video games, one of their favorite activities. The twins’ other favorite activities include playing soccer and teasing Josefina until she loses her temper.

As Josefina looks at the moon, the aroma of fresh tortillas lingers on the front porch. Josefina imagines the moon, with its craters and dark shades, as one gigantic tortilla cooking on a huge black grill.

The moment is interrupted by Mama calling, Josefina! It’s time to come in and get ready for bed. You have school tomorrow. The moon will still be there tomorrow night.

Josefina takes one last look at the moon and wonders whether someone will flip it so it can cook on the other side. She gets up from the porch swing and goes inside the house.

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The living room is small, with many family pictures on the walls and end tables. Some are baby pictures of Josefina, Lupe, and José. There are also pictures of each child sitting on a pony. The largest picture is of Mama and Papa on their wedding day. Along with these family pictures are religious pictures of Our Lady of Guadalupe,² the Holy Family,³ and a guardian angel taking care of children.

Josefina walks through the living room and into the kitchen. The kitchen is also small, with several pots and pans hanging on the wall. There are also dishes stacked on shelves. A white stove is next to the kitchen counter, and a rectangular table sits opposite the stove next to a wall. The table