The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (bilingual) by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Rafael Lopez Ages 4-8 32 pages Charlesbridge February 2011 Hardcover     A lively, cumulative story based on the nursery rhyme “The House that Jack Built,” The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred is a bilingual story of a young woman who is preparing a pot of arroz con leche, or rice pudding. The story begins with the pot, and a goat churning the cream for the butter. It continues with the maiden milking the cow, a duck going to town to buy the sugar, a donkey plucking a lime from the tree, a hen laying the eggs, and the farmer who plants the rice. All their efforts conclude in a group celebration of a meal together. Writing in verse, Vamos defines or provides strong picture or word clues to the meaning of each Spanish noun used in the story. The lively illustrations combine warm, vibrant paint with collage artwork. The story itself is whimsical, told as much or more through the illustrations as the text, with numerous indoor/outdoor scenes depicting interactions of the animals and people through an open window. Teachers will enjoy using this story as an introduction to Spanish, as a discussion starter about communities or working together, or as a comparison to other traditional cumulative tales. The book concludes with a recipe for rice pudding and a glossary of the Spanish words used in the story.     web reviews   Kristine Wildner/2011 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)