Bold graphic numerals and shaped pages to count in English and Spanish make this book a great way to reinforce multiple basic concepts. Signature art by Caldecott Medalist David Diaz is an indispensable ingredient, adding flavor to a burrito bursting with fun.

Ages 3-7, Scholastic
ISBN-13: 978-0553496550 (Hardcover)

Let’s have fun together! I love to visit with kids for school or library visits, family literacy nights, book fairs, and more.

Invite me to speak

Adios, Build a Burrito…for now

Many people have heard the story of how Build a Burrito came to be. That it was accepted for publication in 2001, but wasn’t published until 2008, a full seven years after acceptance! That was due to a lot of things, but the final product was a fun book that I’ve shared with a lot of kids.

Well, recently the book went out-of-print. Scholastic just didn’t feel sales were strong enough to go into another printing. So we must say adios to the book.

But my fun little stop-motion video will stay alive and I’m planning to get my rights back and turn it into an interactive app. Burrito will live on in other formats!

Thanks so much to everyone who bought the book, enjoyed the book, and shared stories about their kids reading it. That meant a lot to me.

!Olé¡

Buy The Book!

This book is out of print, but I have limited brand new copies for sale. Just Contact the Moderator.

Want an Autographed Copy?

If you already own the book, go to the autograph page for information regarding an autographed bookplate or arranging to have me autograph it via mail.

Meet Illustrator David Diaz

Get into the mind of a creative genius.

Meet David!

This round book book leads kids ages 3-5 through the steps to assemble a burrito using numbered ingredients…WIth colorful illustrations by Caldecott Award winner and Carlsbad artist David Diaz, this book is sure to delight readers and stimulate an appetite for learning Spanish.

- San Diego Family Magazine

Learn to count from one (uno) to ten (diez) — while building a burrito! Bright colors and bold patterns make this book a fun way to learn how to count in two (dos) languages. The layered pages have cut-out illustrations of the burrito’s ingredients, an attractive feature for little hands.

- Winston -Salem Journal

Enhance the Experience with Classroom, Story Time
and Home Activities!

Build a Burrito is a wonderful book to share with your class, for story time at your library, or at home. Explore the educational and fun activities I offer.

Fun and Educational Resources

Want to use this book in your classroom, story time or at home? Check out our downloadable resources!

Go to Resources

FAQs About BUILD A BURRITO

How long did it take you to write Build a Burrito?

It’s hard to remember because I wrote the book so long ago (back in 2000). I know I went through a few versions before getting to the one I liked and felt worked. It probably took me a month or two to get to that point.

Where did you get the idea to write the book?

Back then there were publishers looking for multicultural books and I had been getting more and more interested in the Mexican side of my heritage. I wanted to do something that would help me dive into that. I think I was looking at different concept books and wondered how I could combine looking at my heritage with a counting book. And of course, I love burritos (even though I hate cheese!) and they can have lots of ingredients so it seemed like a good fit.

It’s such a short book. Did it get published really fast?

No! The book was accepted by the publisher in December 2001, but didn’t come out until October 2008. Seven years later! I think it was a combination of waiting for the fabulous illustrator, David Diaz, because he was so busy, and also the publisher trying to decide on a format that would work best for the book.

Are you fluent in Spanish?

No, but I sure wish I was! I originally submitted the manuscript for Build a Burrito in English-only as I am not bilingual. Once they accepted it, they contacted me to see how I would feel about doing it bilingual. I told them I wasn’t and worked with some bilingual friends for some of the words and the publishers Spanish editor also helped with the Spanish in the book.

Why is there cheese on the burrito if you don’t like cheese?

Well, most burritos have cheese so I thought I’d better include it. But notice it’s the very last (and smallest!) ingredient in the book!

BURRITO In the Media



Wanna Jugar with Migo?

Interview with Tati