Former newspaper editor and 2015 graduate Orlando Mendiola published his first children’s book “The Last Tamale” Tuesday.

Inspired by Mendiola’s own experience growing up in a Mexican-American household, the book is about three children who compete in a battle over who gets to make the last tamale in their family’s annual tamalada.

“We had our (tamalada) every Christmas Eve at my grandma’s house,” Mendiola said. “Ever since I was a kid, my memories of Christmas Eve were spent making tamales with my grandma and my cousins and aunts and uncles.”

Mendiola’s job was and still is to spread the masa on the corn husk, with his family members taking other tasks. At around 10 p.m., Mendiola said they would open the pot and eat fresh tamales while opening presents.

“My grandma sadly passed away last year, but my parents know the secret family recipe and we plan on continuing the tradition,” Mendiola said. “We’ve recruited my niece and nephew to help out and they are the newest generation that hopefully, will continue the tradition when they’re older.”

After graduating, Mendiola attended the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School and majored in Journalism and Design and Photography. 

“Taking journalism classes with Mrs. Edmonson sparked my initial passion for journalism/creativity,” Mendiola said. “She helped me come out of my shell and inspired me to continue pursuing journalism and a creative outlet when I went to college.”

In college, Mendiola was the photography editor of his school newspaper and began to do some freelance writing.

“I graduated in 2019, and when the pandemic happened, I reconnected with a former professor of mine, Susan Shapiro, who started teaching online writing classes where we’d meet editors and literary agents in the publishing industry over Zoom,” Mendiola said. “We would ask questions about the industry and talk about our ideas, which is how I got an initial interest in my children’s book, The Last Tamale.”

Mendiola said he always wanted to write a book about his experiences growing up, but it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that he solidified an idea.

“During the first year of the pandemic, we obviously couldn’t have our big Christmas tamalada with my grandma who was still alive at the time, so my mom and dad, who knew our secret family tamale recipe, decided my brother and I would help them make tamales that year,” Mendiola said. “We usually make over 300 tamales with the help of my cousins, aunts, and uncles, but with just the four of us, we were still able to make all those tamales. It was such a long day and night, but we got it done, and it sparked the idea for the children’s book.”

Mendiola spent the first year writing the story and pitching it to literary agents where he signed with an agent he met online through Zoom. The second year, Mendiola worked with his agent to pitch to literary publications where he earned a deal with HarperCollins.

“And last year was spent editing the book with my editor at HarperCollins and reviewing the illustrations which were done by the amazing Teresa Martinez,” Mendiola said. “She’s a wonderful Mexican illustrator and has worked on so many amazing children’s books.”

After three years of work, Mendiola saw his book published on Tuesday, and his family is at the center.

“I wrote this book as a love letter to my grandmas and my family,” Mendiola said. “My grandma who passed away last year, was the one who I made tamales with every year and she was so proud of me and the book. She thankfully got to see some of the illustrations before she passed. I hoped she would be able to hold the book in her hands, but now I’m dedicating this moment to her and my other grandma who is still alive.”