Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!

Yum! MmMm! Que rico!: America's Sproutings

Bibliography

Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!: AMERICA'S SPROUTINGS. Illus. by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781584302711

Plot Summary

A collection of haikus written about foods native to the Americas. Includes brief paragraphs giving the history of the food and where it originates.

Critical Analysis

Pat Mora's collection of foody haikus is a fun read and a great introduction for kids to haikus. Each haiku has unique and fun vocabulary and bouncy rhythm. Young readers can learn about the origins of these delicious foods from reading the poems and the paragraphs on each page that give background information over where these foods originate and fun facts about them. Mora knows how to write a poem and makes this a hard to put down book.

Paired with Mora's fantastic words are Rafael Lopez's colorful and eye catching artwork. His illustrations are fun to look at and make you hungry for these mouth-watering foods. Lopez uses acrylic in his pictures, which brings life to the words and immerses the reader. 

Pat Mora continues to make fun books that also teach students about food history and language arts. 

Review Excerpts

Texas Bluebonnet Award Shortlist

Kirkus Reviews: "More interesting as social science than as poetry, but visually gorgeous."

Booklist: "This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas. Each of the 13 poems appears on a gloriously colorful double-page spread, accompanied by a sidebar that presents information about the origin of the food. . . this will provide lots and lots of lip-smacking fun that teachers can use to supplement social studies and language arts units; they can also share one poem at a time, between other subjects."

Connections

More by Pat Mora: "Tomas and the Library Lady"

                                " Dona Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart"

                                "A Pinata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas"

More Illustrated by Rafael Lopez: "The Day You Begin" by Jacqueline Woodson

                                                        "Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You" by Sonia Sotomayor

                                                        "Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President                                                          Lincoln by Margarita Engle

Activity: Students will write their own haikus about some of their favorite foods