Mice and Beans - Hardcover

by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Author), Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

Children's Literature Legacy Award Winner

Rosa Maria lives in a small house with a small yard. But she has a big heart, a big family, and more than anything she loves to cook big meals for them.

"When there's room in the heart, there's room in the house, except for a mouse." That's what her mother always said, so for one week as Rosa Maria meticulously prepares for her youngest grandchild's birthday party, she takes extra care in tidying her kitchen. But strangely, important items -- like her wooden spoon, her big bolsa for grocery shopping, and even her mousetraps -- keep disappearing!

Readers will delight in uncovering the clues that reveal a family of mice are preparing for a birthday party of their own, and in the last picture, readers can search for all the items that have previously disappeared.

Vibrant paintings with brilliant comic touches, a winsome main character, jaunty rhythms, and playful refrains make Mice and Beans a feast for the eyes and ears.

Front Jacket

Recipe for a Festive Story Time

INGREDIENTS

1 birthday party

1 grandma who loves to cook

1 delicious Mexican meal

1 cake

1 pinata

1 bag of candy

1 big present

lots of children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and cousins several surprise visitors

Mix all the ingredients into a fun romp.

Add comic illustrations, jaunty rhythms, and playful refrains.

Spice with a mystery.

Stir the whole thing into a book.

Serve aloud to large groups or small.

Store leftovers on a shelf in a child's bedroom, a library, or a classroom.

They keep forever!

Back Jacket

Rosa Maria's Rice and Beans

Please ask an adult to help you.

RICE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

1/3 cup minced onion

1/3 cup minced bell pepper

1 14 1/2-oz. can chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup tomato sauce stirred into 1 1/2 cups water

Pour oil into large skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, and rice, and saute over medium heat until rice is lightly toasted. Add broth and tomato sauce water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir while simmering or rice will be mushy. Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes. Carefully fluff with a fork.

BEANS

1 16-oz. bag dried pinto beans

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 14 1/2-oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth

2 14 1/2-oz. soup cans water salt and pepper to taste

Follow directions on the back of the bag for cleaning and soaking beans. Drain water. Combine beans, onion, garlic, broth, and water in large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring often, until beans are plump and soft.

Serve rice and beans in a bowl, side-by-side, with additions such as sour cream, salsa, grated cheese, and avocado slices. Or roll everything into a flour tortilla for a delicious burrito!

Author Biography

Pam Muñoz Ryan is the recipient of the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award, the PEN Center USA Award, and the 2024 Children's Literature Legacy Award for her body of work. She was the 2018 and is the 2026 US nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. She received a Newbery Honor Medal and the Kirkus Prize for her New York Times bestselling novel, Echo. Her other celebrated novels, Esperanza Rising, The Dreamer, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi León, Paint the Wind, Mañanaland, and El Niño, have received countless accolades, among them the Pura Belpré Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the Américas Award. Her acclaimed picture books include Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride and the Sibert Honor book When Marian Sang, both illustrated by Brian Selznick, Mice and Beans illustrated by Joe Cepeda, and Tony Baloney illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, as well as a beginning reader series featuring Tony Baloney. Ryan lives near San Diego, California, with her family. Visit Pam at www.PamMunozRyan.com.