“This is the pot that the farm maiden stirred,” begins Samantha R. Vamos’s playful representation of a recipe for arroz con leche— rice pudding. Following the basic structure of “This Is the House That Jack Built,” ingredients, utensils, and participants are added to demonstrate the process, which becomes more complex as the pudding cooks. To add to the fun, each turn of the page repeats the previous phrases, but with key words first introduced in English now in Spanish: The pot becomes the cazuela , the cow becomes the vaca , and the sugar becomes the azúcar . By the end of the sequence, when the cazuela is finally ready, everyone involved in its creation says thanks and celebrates the dish they all worked hard to make. Patterned language, rhythm, and repetition, coupled with illustrator Rafael López’s brilliantly hued acrylic paintings, capture the excitement of this lively story. A recipe for arroz con leche and glossary with a pronunciation guide for Spanish words are also included. (Ages 4–8)

WINNER: Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor Book 2012

"A wonderful read-aloud, filled with merriment and conviviality" -- Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

"The artistry of this book makes it a must buy for all libraries" -- School Library Journal, STARRED review

This is the story of how the farm maiden and all the farm animals worked together to make the rice pudding that they serve at the fiesta. With the familiarity of "The House That Jack Built," this story bubbles and builds just like the ingredients of the arroz con leche that everyone enjoys. Cleverly incorporating Spanish words, adding a new one in place of the English word from the previous page, this book makes learning the language easy and fun.

Rafael Lopez covers each page with vibrant, exuberant color, celebrating tradition and community.

Back matter includes a glossary of Spanish words and a recipe for arroz con leche--perfect for everyone to make together and enjoy at story time.

- Scholastic Reading Club Selection
- Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2012 (NCSS)
- Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts 2012 (NCTE)
- NYPL's list of "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" in 2011