The Tortilla Factory

by Gary Paulsen, Ruth Wright Paulsen

Lyrical text and expressive paintings pay tribute to the Mexican farmers and workers who participate in a cycle of life and labor that progresses from seed planting, to tortilla, and back to the farmers. By the author and illustrator of Dogteam. A Children's BOMC Feat.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Economics, Childrens, Nonfiction, Realistic Fiction, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again readers benefit from the near perfect confluence of Gary and Ruth Wright Paulsen's talents, Mr. Paulsen with his lush, dignified writing, and his wife with her mesmerizing artistry. Text and images could hardly blend more harmoniously in this story of the circle of life, where the miracle of conscious existence is beautifully expressed in mundane everyday labors. No author appreciates this quiet truth better or communicates it to young readers more sincerely than Gary Paulsen. By his gift for illuminating the stories behind drab routine, we gain nobler perspective on the wonder of life.

Spring thaw is just the start of the season's ubiquitous greenery. As frosty fields soften, farmhands scramble to plant their crop. The seeds they sow grow to become plants that feed us, including corn shipped to factories and ground into flour, then molded and pounded flat into tortillas to be exported around the world. This good food of the earth strengthens weary workers to go out again next spring and restart the planting and harvesting process. Diligent work is the means by which we support our families and recreational pastimes, and its reward is the rest and recovery promised by nourishing meals and deep sleep at night. Life's cycle is simple and unglamorous for most, but it's our lot in the unending circle of human existence. All things considered, it's not so bad.

Gary Paulsen's writing has a soothing quality, but Ruth Wright Paulsen's illustrations add at least as much to The Tortilla Factory. The oil on linen technique is splendidly evocative, and several of the double-page panoramas are gorgeous: the enormous fallow cornfield at winter's end, the children playing among rows of tall corn, the wood-paneled room at the factory where tortillas are crated for distribution, the workers back at their job the following year, one digging with a shovel and the other plowing fields on his tractor. These marvelous paintings bring the experience to life. I'm glad we have Ruth Wright Paulsen's artwork to enrich her husband's unique storytelling that much more.

The Tortilla Factory ranks up there with Canoe Days among the Paulsens' best picture books, a subdued homage to the work ethic of the common man who does his job without complaining, to serve and provide for his family. What society can survive without dedicated laborers? A big part of me wants to give The Tortilla Factory two and a half stars, and I recommend it for readers seeking a look at society from a slightly different angle. You can count on Gary Paulsen for that every time.

[Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful expression of the labors and hands that are required to make something as simple as a tortilla. Important reading in our state of California where so much relies upon farm workers. Wallace (3.5 years) currently calls it the "Quesadilla book", which is a memory I'll save here for posterity.

[Maria Salgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book about how tortillas are made and all that goes into it. The pictures are simple but clear and go well with the book. It can be used to talk about cooking, planting and growing food, or sequences.

[Jenny Hartfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces the cycle of seed to tortilla with simple, lyrical language and beautiful pictures. It paired beautifully with Corn is Maize which was a more academic introduction to corn.

#passportaroundtheworld #southamerica

[Makenzie VanderHorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've actually never read this book till now! It is great for colors. Each page showed a different color and described it with something in the book. It was about making tortillas but also a great short lesson!

[Chiquita wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tortilla factory is a good place to give the audience a look at the world of others. Books are a great way to explore another environment without leaving your environment. This is a great way to learn about company assistants.

[Lauren Mowrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tortilla Factory is a great book. Its simple but informative and the illustrations are very appealing. This book would be great to talk to a class about growing food and who makes our food. The story is simple enough that children could enjoy it on their own.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how this book explains the way of corn and the workers and how hard they work! Which is really great and i appreciate all the workers who do such hard labor! But i think it could have a way to get students to be interested into the book.

[Ardyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork. Lovely text, albeit as brief as _Brown Bear_. A cyclical format similar to _Oxcart Man_.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cycle of life story with great illustrations.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but not much detail. It reads almost like a poem.

[Fran Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good illustrations, more of an informative book.

[Ammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple text, but both girls enjoyed it.

[Sequoia Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be deceiving from the cover. Inside its very fun and easy for children to follow along.

[Grace Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how the book explained each steps and educated the children how a certain food is processed with lots of efforts. This book would be great to talk about different cultures as well.

[Manisha Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about everything you need when learning about planting or cooking. It shows how tortillas are made up from from start to end.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is more than one book by this title, but I this is my the best known author in my opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my daughter yeeeeeears ago, saved it because it speaks to my heart. Especially the illustration, Ruth Wright did amazing work. Gracias.

[Emily]

A simple, cyclical story that made me sit in gratitude for farmers! The illustrations had texture that it looked like something you'd find in a frame.

[Backoff51 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a five to ten minute read.

The artwork is the highlight, done by Paulsen's wife Ruth Wright Paulsen.

Not too much to say.

[Nikole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fountas-Pinnel Guided Reading: J
Characters: Factory workers
Setting: The setting takes place at a factory where tortillas are made.
POV: The story is told from the narrator’s perspective.

The book describes what it takes to make tortillas. The book starts with the planting of the corn until it is eaten by consumers. It goes into great detail about the different steps it takes to make tortillas, such as, the workers plowing the soil to the trucks driving the packaged tortillas to the store. The book also allows the readers to see what and how the machinery in the factories is used to make the tortillas. Gary Paulsen uses a limited amount of words on the page, but the pictures are perfect for the story; they help tell the story as well.

I would use this book in second and third grade. It is a great book to talk about the differences between goods and services as well as describe how people are consumers and producers. Then, for third grade especially, we could get into a unit of how animals are consumers and producers as well. I could also use the book as a read aloud in second grade to discuss culture and what some foods the students in the classroom eat discuss culture and diversity among the classroom. The themes throughout the book are plants, flowers, Hispanic culture, food, and cooking.

[Liliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade:2nd-3rd grade
Lexile Measure-510L
Genre:Poetry/Realistic Fiction

Characters: Factory workers
Setting: Places where tortillas making occur
POV: The story is told by the narrator

This book illustrates the story of a tortilla from the time the corn is planted until it is ground, mixed, made into dough, baked, packaged, and brought into homes to be eaten. This book tells about the steps it requires to produce something. The book uses a lot of adjectives to explain the process such as “black” land in winter, or “green” plants, etc. The illustrations are also very colorful and show how workers operate the clanking machinery of the factory and drive the trucks that deliver the tortillas to those who produce more.

I would use this book in 3rd grade classroom to introduce expository writing. This is a good way to focus on step by step procedures to produce a thing. I would also use this book to talk about human resources and the cycle of things we use daily. I can have them research ways that other things are produced such as cheese, bread, chocolate, etc. I will have them write the procedures. One expository example I had my students do is on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I can use this as a read aloud before or after that assignment

[Maria Salinas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main Characters: workers
Setting: factory
POV: Narrator
Grade Level: k-2
Reading Level: 2.9
Genre: Informational


This book describes the process of making a tortilla. The book begins by showing the very first step in making tortillas which is planting the corn, to gathering the corn and grinding it for the dough. The book talks about how the machines are operated and how they serve to make the tortillas. The tortillas are then packed and delivered to its destination. The illustrations are vivid, and the text is very descriptive. The words correlate exactly to the illustrations. For example when the land and green plants are described, the picture shows the lands and the actual green plants. Overall, the book is very detailed and descriptive with great illustrations that show the process of a tortilla.
I would use this book to talk about the process of creating just about anything. One activity I could have students do is creating their own process of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Various aspects would be discussed before I give this assignment such as the importance of detail and coherence.

[Natalia Leston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text Set Book #2

This text introduced students to the process of making bread, particularly tortilla bread. It gives students insight into the hard work and sacrifice that people endure in order to make tortillas, and the Latino cultural importance of appreciating tortillas for this reason, and thinking about the people who have done so much to produce this bread.

This book presents a great way to teach students about where bread comes from while also giving them exposure to another culture. One possible assignment to go with this book is to have students list the steps taken in order to make tortillas, while charting new vocabulary words.

Another possible assignment could be to have student think about and reflect upon their own families. Reflection Question: In The Tortilla Factory, the mother tells the boy to appreciate the tortillas because of how hard their family members have worked in order to make them. What is one thing that you and your family appreciate because of the hard work you or your family members have put in to make possible? Students can then share with partners or the class.

[Helen Kumpel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who this book is for:PreK-5
Reflection:
This juvenile non-fiction book talks about the cycle of life, cause and effect, and uses may adjectives to explain the process. The book starts with “black” land in winter, in Spring worked by “brown” hands, “yellow” seeds planted, which become “green” plants, then becomes “golden” corn taken to the tortilla factory. The corn is turned into food that feeds the brown hands that work the black Earth. This book does not specifically target a group of people but rather seems to target the culture of some Hispanic communities which work the fields and crops to grow and harvest the food that is important to their culinary preferences. This book would be great to use when talking about the life cycle of plants, learning about adjectives, or about cause and effect.

Students could use this book to think critically about who the author was targeting, if they are the target audience, look at how the author used colors to describe sesaons, environment or people.

[Yusra Faridi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on farmers that do labor work and go through many processes to create tortillas for people to enjoy. The characters in this book are not mentioned, but with a little background knowledge and from the hints given in the text, "...worked by brown hands", we can assume that the story is being told about Mexican farmers. I really liked that this book has a lot of detailed phrases such as "black earth", "yellow seeds", "...eaten by white teeth, to fill a round stomach and give strength to the brown hands that work the black earth". The detailed wording can really help in painting a clear picture in the minds of the young readers or students. When researcher the author Gary Paulsen, I did realize that he doesn't associate with the specific group mentioned in this text. However, he does a really good job at portraying these workers in a positive light.

[Barbara Radisavljevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lavishly illustrates the story of a tortilla from the time the corn is planted until it is ground, mixed, made into dough, baked, packaged, and brought into homes to be eaten. The author also uses color imagery -- the black earth, the brown hands, the yellow seeds, the green plants, and so on. The cycle is also continued to the new beginning, as tortillas become food to be eaten and give strength to those who will plant the new crop in the brown earth.

Though there are only a few sentences of text, the words are chosen well and have a poetic quality. The paintings (done in oil on linen by Ruth Wright Paulsen))used to illustrate the book are magnificent and worthy of framing. This book would be perfect in a unit study of food and how it is produced.

[Melinda Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This juvenile non-fiction book talks about the cycle of life, cause and effect, and uses may adjectives to explain the process. The book starts with “black” land in winter, in Spring worked by “brown” hands, “yellow” seeds planted, which become “green” plants, then becomes “golden” corn taken to the tortilla factory. The corn is turned into food that feeds the brown hands that work the black Earth. This book does not specifically target a group of people but rather seems to target the culture of some Hispanic communities which work the fields and crops to grow and harvest the food that is important to their culinary preferences. This book would be great to use when talking about the life cycle of plants, learning about adjectives, or about cause and effect.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. I'm hankerin' for a dang quesadilla now. The story is about a kernel of corn that turns into a tortilla that feeds a hungry man, that works the rich earth, that plants the seed, that turns into cornstalks, that turns into corn, that turns into flour, that turns into tortillas, that feed the hungry man, who works the rich earth, plants the corn, that grows the kernel, that turns into flour, that turns into a tortilla, that feeds the hungry man, that works the rich earth..... You get the picture.