YUM! ¡MMMM! ¡QUÉ RICO! AMERICA'S SPROUTINGS by Pat Mora

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

ISBN: 978-1-58430-271-1

Plot Summary:

Written as a collection of haiku poems, Pat Mora highlights fourteen foods indigenous to the Americas. In this colorful, festive celebration of native cuisine a virtual food fiesta is created on each page combining the brilliance of Pat Mora’s poetry with the bold and bright illustrations by Rafael Lopez.  Information is also included about the origin of each food.

Critical Analysis:

In this beautifully written and illustrated food foray, Pat Mora and Rafael Lopez join forces to create an experience that both children and adults will enjoy.  Pat Mora’s first book of haiku poems will have taste buds tingling with her creative, expressive descriptions of native foods from the Americas.  Phrases such as “brown magic” when describing chocolate and “green mouth fire” when describing chile peppers allow readers to experience the thrill of these wonderful foods. The positioning of each haiku on the page, as well as the playful font used contributes to the party-like atmosphere.  Mora’s addition of factual information about the origination of each of the foods provides credibility in her endeavor to entertain as well as inform.  A sprinkling of Spanish phrases throughout the poems contributes to the authentic portrayal of the area from which the foods originated.

  The bold and festive acrylic on wood illustrations of Rafael Lopez provide whimsical details that add to the ethnic theme.  Each two-page spread brilliantly depicts traditional representations of the culture of the Americas with beautifully interpreted paintings that add to the richness of the content and the familial themes throughout the book. A variety of culturally authentic characters are depicted on each page to accentuate the rich descriptions provided by Mora.  Readers of all ages will appreciate and enjoy this wonderful interpretation of food culture from the Americas!  

       

Review Excerpts:

“This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas." ~Booklist

“Mora's descriptive poetry features wonderful word choices and gets it right to the essence of each food...Perfect for sharing as part of the curriculum or just for fun." ~Book Links

“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." ~School Library Journal

Connections:

**Following Pat Mora’s example, students can create their own haiku about their favorite food.

**Students could have a “Food Fiesta” and taste some of the foods depicted in Pat Mora’s book, as well as bring their own food native to their culture or geographic area. 

**Other poetry books by Pat Mora:

Confetti: Poems for Children by Pat Mora, ill. Enrique O. Sanchez

Join Hands: The Ways We Celebrate Life by Pat Mora, ill. George Ancona

Delicious Hullabaloo/Panchenga Deliciosa by Pat Mora, ill. Francisco X. Mora

**Haiku poetry books

Haiku by Patricia Donegan (a how-to book)

The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons by Sid Farrar and Ilse Plume

Dogku by Andrew Clements and Time Bowers

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw and Eugene Yelchin

The Cuckoo’s Haiku: and Other Birding Poems by Michael J. Rosen and Stan Fellows