Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings

Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc.  ISBN 9781584302711

(Image obtained from amazon.com)

Summary

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings is a collection of haikus featuring fourteen different foods native to the Americas geared towards children in preschool through third grade.  Factual information regarding each food precedes the haiku on opposing pages in each two page spread.

Quality and Appeal

Haikus are an inventive way to share the different structures of poetry.  Mora jumped at this appeal in Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings  through fun, appealing, and evocative musings.  The words and illustrations stream together in a way that almost makes your mouth water while reading.  The familiarity of the food will entice and engage younger readers while the factual support will appeal to older readers. 

Beyond the basic content, multicultural connections are made through the illustrative Spanish-flair and combination of Spanish-language integration.  The literary merit, along with the cultural undertones, confirms the necessity in education integration.  Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings belongs in every elementary classroom.

This book is also published in Spanish. 

                                                 Awards, Mentions and/or Honors                       

Won American Library Association Notable Books for Children in 2008

Won Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature in 2008

Spotlight Poem

Pecan

We crack hard, brown shells,

family munching, story time,

crunchy taste of fall. 

Educators can utilize this poem (and any of the others found in Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings) to head a lesson on cultural differences.   Students should be invited to share a family tradition.

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