Review: Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! by Pat Mora

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! America’s Sproutings by Pat Mora

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! America’s Sproutings. Ill. by Rafael López. New York: Lee and Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781584302711

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! America’s Sproutings is a poetry book dedicated to the fruits and flavors of Central America, South America and North America. Blueberries, chiles, papaya, and pecans are only a few of the delicious foods lovingly described. Each page includes a haiku about a special food and a brief paragraph with additional details about the origin, uses, and special facts of that food. Lush, double page illustrations accompany every poem.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The theme for this children’s poetry book, as is common in Hispanic literature, is one of the importance of food. Each food in Mora’s book of poetry is the focus on a large, two-page spread. The haiku is located on the right page and the small, historical background paragraph is on the right. Mora intersperses Spanish and English words in her haikus, creating glorious imagery as seen in her tribute to the pumpkin:

“Under round luna,

scattered tumblings down the rows,

autumn’s orange face.”

The historical details provided by Mora are a wonderful addition to the poetry and provide a great background to the origins of foods. She adds Spanish words in the explanatory paragraphs but lacks pronunciation guides. The word chocolate, for example, comes from the Nahuatl word “xocolatl” which means bitter water, but no information on how to pronounce it. The entire book is a celebration of traditional foods used in the Hispanic culture. Mora’s author’s note indicates her purpose of writing this book was to show all the native foods grown in the America’s before the countries were created.

While most of the foreign language words are defined in the background paragraphs on each page, the Spanish words in the haikus are not. For the few Spanish words Mora uses in her haikus, she defines them in the beginning of the book so as not to interrupt the flow of her poetry. Under the Spanish definitions she includes a brief list of sources for her historical backgrounds of the indigenous foods with the acknowledgment that some food origins are still in debate and under discussion by experts. Opposite the source/definition page in the beginning of the book is a map of the Americas, illustrated by López, to assist readers in finding the countries of origin for the foods discussed.

Rafael López created rich and glossy illustrations using acrylic on wood panels to perfectly complement the haikus written by Pat Mora. The cranberry haiku compares cranberries to fireworks when they are cooked in a hot pot. López illustrates the poetry, making sure to have details in the illustrations correspond to the origin of each food. Because cranberries are grown in watery marshes, the illustration shows a young girl standing hip deep in a cranberry bog. She is holding a pot of hot cranberries that shoot from the pot through the sky as described in Mora’s poetry.

Images of people in the book are culturally accurate based on various indigenous people who live in the Americas. Skin color is shown in various shades, as are clothing and hairstyles. The illustrations include many images of anthropomorphized foods and animals dancing and smiling along with humans. This style is sure to appeal to readers of any age, especially those interested in learning about the origins of their favorite foods.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2009-2010

ALA Notable Book 2008

Américas Award for Children’s Literature 2008

Starred review in Booklist: "This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas."

Positive review in School Library Journal: “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

* There are multiple uses for this picture book. Use in a classroom to discuss poetry forms, or use to learn Spanish words for common foods. After reading each haiku and accompanying origin paragraph, use the map at the beginning of the book to show where each food came from.

           

* Curriculum activities for Que Rico and other Pat Mora books: http://www.patmora.com/ideas.htm#yum

* Poetry activity pages: http://www.patmora.com/morafiles/other/yum_poetrydish.pdf

* Other bilingual books by Pat Mora:

The Bakery Lady/La señora de la panadería. ISBN 9781558853430

Book Fiesta! ISBN 9780061288777

Gracias-Thanks. ISBN 9781600602580