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| Image retrieved from www.amazon.com |
1. Bibliography
Mora, Pat, and Rafael López. Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!: America’s Sproutings. New York: Lee and Low Books Inc., 2007. ISBN 9781584302711
2. Plot Summary
In this vibrantly illustrated book of poetry, award-winning author Pat Mora includes a collection of haiku poems to explore foods native to the Americas. With poems about blueberries, chocolate, pineapple, prickly pears, and more, readers go on a tasty adventure through the Americas. Each two-page spread also contains a paragraph about the food, including its origin and other interesting facts about the food and how it has been eaten or used throughout the years. López’s illustrations are bright and fun, and they fully capture the history and essence of each food.
3. Critical Analysis
This book of poetry is truly a celebration of foods native to the Americas. Not only does each illustration give a sense of celebration, but each haiku poem has a tone of celebration - as if each food is a party of its own. About chocolate, Mora writes, “Happy, your eyes dance.” When describing cranberries simmering, she calls the popping “Scarlet fireworks.” In her poem about peanuts and peanut butter, she says, “Gooey party, / my sandwich and me.” When the prickly pear’s fruit becomes syrup, she says, “Surprise!” Each poem throws a party for its food, celebrating its beauty and flavor.
Along with each poem, Mora includes a paragraph describing the origin of each food. She tells in which part of the Americas each food was originally found, and other information about each food that would be fascinating to any child (or adult!), including its native name. For example, chocolate, or cacao seeds, native to Central or South America, was once so valuable that it was used as money. Mora says, “Yes, money grew on trees!” The reader also learns that “Pumpkin was once believed to remove freckles and cure snakebites.” And pineapple is sometimes used to decorate hotels because it’s a symbol of hospitality. Who knew? Mora has created a fun way to teach fascinating facts about these 14 foods of the Americas.
Continuing the theme of celebration, López’s illustrations throw a party for each food. López has a background in painting Latin American murals, and he fills each two-page spread in this book with a colorful mural. On many of the pages, characters are dancing, singing, and playing instruments from their native lands. Each illustration portrays the culture of the area where the food originated. In the illustration about corn, Pueblo Indians are pictured eating a picnic of foods made from corn. In the illustration about peanuts, a boy with skin and hair color typical of Peru and Brazil is dancing and playing music. Even López’s drawing of each landscape is typical of the area where each food originated. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate these foods than to combine Mora’s writing with López’s illustrations.
4. Review Excerpts
From BOOKLIST (December 1, 2007): "This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas."
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (September 1, 2007): "Teachers will find this a welcome addition to their social-studies units, but it should also win a broad general audience for its inventive, fun-filled approach to an ever-popular topic: food."
5. Connections
Gather other books written by Pat Mora such as:
- Gracias ~ Thanks. ISBN 978-1600602580
Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros. ISBN 978-0061288777
Gather other books illustrated by Rafael López such as:
The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred. ISBN 978-1580892438
My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz. ISBN 978-0873588720
Visit Pat Mora’s website at http://www.patmora.com/ideas/#yum for a list of curriculum activities to go along with this book.
Visit http://www.patmora.com/images/books-yum-guide-leelow.pdf to view a teacher’s guide for this book created by Lee and Low Books.
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