Corn Cob Piñata

Latin America Special Issue

Page

Words by

Tom Nalder, age 10

Pictures by

Mia Harding-Trail, age 12

Translation by

Juan David Aquino

Narration by

Carlos Navarrete

You can read this story in

Spanish

by clicking the button below.

Read translated version

Read

Christmas has come
to my home in Hermosillo.
I make a corn cob piñata
to bless my family’s farm.

I fill the piñata
with yellow popcorn
and paint the papier-mâché
as yellow as a newborn moon.

I tell my son Abelino
to whack open the piñata.
Our kitchen is filled with popcorn
as yellow as the sun.

Growing our corn,
feeding the people of Hermosillo,
year after year
after year.

Meet The Author

Learn

Tom has written about a fun tradition in Mexico. What is a piñata? What is its history? How did it originate? Have you ever seen one? Tell a friend.

Create

Ask everyone in your class to write wishes, hopes and words of encouragement on pieces of brightly-coloured paper. Write the messages in Spanish and English if you can.

Illustrate

Using papier mâché, make an awesome piñata with your class. Fill it with the pieces of paper. Hang it in your playground and take turns hitting it with a stick until the wishes fall out. Share them around!

RESPOND

Write a letter to your favourite young writer or artist and send it to Toitoi.

REVIEW

Review your favourite story or poem and send it to the editor.

PUBLISH

Submit your work to Toitoi and become a published writer or artist.

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