Nacho's Nachos: The Story Behind the World's Favorite Snack
The delicious true story of an inventive chef and the serendipitous events that led to the creation of the world's favorite snack--nachos!
Ignacio Anaya was born in Mexico in 1895, and like a lot of Ignacios, he was nicknamed Nacho. Young Nacho loved to eat and cook, and when he grew up, he found a job in a restaurant. Eventually he became head waiter at the Victory Club, a popular restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico, right across the Rio Grande river from Eagle Pass, Texas.
One afternoon in 1940, during the Victory Club's quiet hours between lunch and dinner, Mamie Finan, a regular customer from the US, walked in with three friends. They wanted a snack--something new, something different. Nacho rushed to the kitchen and improvised with what was on hand: corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, and jalapeño peppers. In that moment, Nacho's Special, the dish that later became known simply as "nachos," was born!
Word of this delicious new snack spread quickly. Soon restaurants all over Mexico, the United States, and later the world, were serving nachos. Little did Nacho know that his name would one day be a household word around the globe!
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Sandra Nickel makes her children's book debut with Nacho's Nachos. She says that story ideas are everywhere; you just have to reach out and grab them. She is a two-time winner of the Hunger Mountain Katherine Patterson Prize for YA and Children's Writing. A native of Kansas, Nickel now lives in Chexbres, Switzerland, where she blogs about children's book writers and illustrators at whatwason.com. You can also find her online at sandranickel.com and @senickel.
Oliver Dominguez is a freelance illustrator in the summer and during the rest of the year he works as a professor of illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design. Dominguez's inspirations for his illustrations come from contemporary artists, photography, history books--just about everything and anything. He has a special fondness for historical fashion, knowing the story behind what people used to wear and why. Dominguez and his family live in Cape Coral, Florida. You can visit him online at cargocollective.com/oliverdominguez and @oliverdominguezart.
* "Nickel's thorough research, including communications with the descendants of the principals, brings to life the man behind the world's favorite cheesy bites. Dominguez's detailed facial expressions and vibrant, full-bleed, double-page period illustrations successfully capture the people, the era, and its fashions. . . A celebration of ingenuity and kismet." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This tale of the humble origins of nachos, bolstered by vivid and period-specific illustrations, will whisk young readers away to a different time and place." -- Booklist
"This is a cheerfully told story that gives a quick glimpse of the border-crossing culture of the era and due credit to the restaurant owner who respected and encouraged Anaya without diminishing the glory of Nacho's creation. . . A lively food history piece, this also demonstrates the rich value of cross-cultural and cross-border commerce." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Nickel tells an engaging origin story of the humble but mighty nacho." -- The Horn Book
Best Books of the Year - Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature
Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education
Black-Eyed Susan Award Shortlist 2023-2024 - Maryland Association of School Librarians
Christopher Award - The Christophers
Delaware Diamonds Awards Winner 2022 - Diamond State Reading Association
Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Honor - California Reading Association
Grand Canyon Reader Award 2024 - Arizona Library Association
Reading the West Book Awards Nominee - Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association
