Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sprouting's


Bibliography
Mora, Pat, 2007. YUM! ¡MMMM! ¡QUÉ RICO! AMERICA'S SPROUTING'S. Ill. by Rafael López. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books, Inc. ISBN 9781600608926.

Plot Summary
A fun, colorful, and informative collection of haiku, celebrating the 14 delicious foods native to the Americas. Each food has a haiku, a beautiful illustration, and an informative piece included, providing readers with the origin, history, a fun fact, and the food's current production. 

Critical Analysis 
Pat Mora provides a collection of short haiku, listing off 14 foods that first sprouted in the Americas. Although the haiku poem originated from Japan, Mora takes the haiku form and creates vivid pictures of the foods with carefully selected, detailed words, providing their connection to Latino culture. To give young readers more background information about these native foods, there is a brief informative piece provided for each food. In the information, the origin is shared, along with it's current standing, it's name translated in Spanish, what dishes they are included in, and fun facts. For young readers, these haiku will provide them with a different perspective on what was considered their "everyday" foods. Before, they may have been unaware of the history behind the food, but will be informed of their significance to Latino culture. Mora provides a fun, unique addition to her works, paying tribute to the foods that grew in the Americas before it was separated into the countries they are today. 

López's illustrations are eye-catching and bright, drawing readers in to learn more about the foods shown. The vivd, colorful illustrations have Mexican influence, as bright and rich colors are used in watercolor paint. The folklorish touches to the illustrations give readers a taste of vibrant, fun Mexican culture and captures their attention to the food's origin story and current standing. The illustrations also provide a story to the foods, how they contribute to the everyday lives of Latino families, whether served on a dinner plate, grown on a family farm, or a quick, delicious outdoor snack. López's illustrations truly are the heart of they book, they provide so much meaning and visualization to the haiku collection. Young readers will be unable to take their eyes off these unique illustrations.

Review Excerpt(s)
- 2008 Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature Commended
- 2008-2009 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
- 2008 ALA Notable Children's Books
- 2008 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books
- 2008 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
- 2008-2009 Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "More interesting as social science than as poetry, but visually gorgeous." 
Starred review in BOOKLIST: "This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas."

Connections
- Teachers have a solid addition to utilize when teaching a poetry unit; a very colorful, uplifting haiku collection. 
- Young readers will appreciate the short, descriptive poems, enjoying learning new facts about the foods native to the Americas.
- Similar book recommendations:
Mora, Pat, 2006. CONFETTI" POEMS FOR CHILDREN. Ill. by Enrique O. Sanchez. ISBN 9781880000854.
Argueta, Jorge, 2017. SOPA DE FRIJOLES/BEAN SOUP: UN POEMA PARA COCINAR/A COOKING POEM. Ill. by Rafael Yockteng. ISBN 9781773060026.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Koala Lou

Image
  Bibliography Fox, Mem, 1988. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780152000769. Plot Summary Young Koala Lou yearns for the days when she was an only child and her mother would tell her how she loved her the most. As the years have passed and more siblings have arrived, Koala Lou thinks about what she can do to earn her mother's attention. With the Bush Olympics right around the corner, she enters the competition (specifically, the gum tree climbing event), dreaming of her victory and her mother telling her how much she loved her. Despite not winning the event, her mother is proud of her and reminds her of how much she loves her. Koala Lou learns that a mother's love is forever and does not have to win her over. Critical Analysis  Mem Fox has captured the sweet, eternal love a mother will always have her child. The main character, Koala Lou, recalls the moments when her mother would tell her she loved her most and how it uplifted her...
Read more

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation

Image
  Bibliography Tonatiuh, Duncan, 2014. SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: SYLVIA MENDEZ & HER FAMILY'S FIGHT FOR DESEGREGATION. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781419710544. Plot Summary In 1947, Sylvia Mendez is excited to begin school in the new city her family moved to. When she walks through the door, she is immediately greeted with rudeness and is told to go to the Mexican school instead. Hurt and ashamed, she tells her mother she does not want to go to school anymore. Her mother listens to her sadness and reminds her to hold her head high, the Mendez family fought for the right to attend the Westminster school. She was being unfairly judged for her looks alone, despite being an American who spoke perfect English, all people saw was her dark hair and skin. Sylvia's mother reminds her of how her family fought for the same opportunity for the kids to attend a good school and have equal rights.  Critical Analysis  Duncan Tonatiuh shares the powerful, true ...
Read more

The Night Raven

Image
Bibliography Rundberg, Johan, 2020. THE NIGHT RAVEN. New York, NY: Amazon Crossing Kids. ISBN 9781662509582. Plot Summary It's a dark, cold night in Stockholm and Mika is running through her personal checklist of how to survive during the unbearable, freezing winters in the local orphanage. She suddenly hears a knock at the door and there is a boy holding a newborn child claiming the Dark Angel knows he has taken this child. Without any explanation, the boy takes off running, leaving Mika with many questions and another child to help care for. The Night Raven was a notorious serial killer in Stockholm and was supposed to be dead, now Mika is left wondering if somehow he is involved. With the help of a local detective, Mika will hunt out the truth and solve a murder. With this opportunity, Mika can become someone strong and who matters in this world, not allowing her only identity to be an orphan.  Critical Analysis Rundberg writes a suspenseful mystery, more specifically a murder i...
Read more