Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué rico!

America’s Sproutings

Haiku by Pat Mora

Pictures by Rafael López

cover image retrieved 10/11/12 from

http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/yum.htm

Bibliography

Mora, Pat, and Rafael Lopez. Yum ! MmMm ! Que'rico ! Americas' Sprouting. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc, 2007.  ISBN 978-1584302711

Summary

A menagerie of foods native to the Americas parades through the pages of this engaging book of poetry.  Well-known natives, such as pumpkin, corn and tomatoes, are each featured in a haiku connecting them lyrically to their roots. Foods not as well-known as original to the Americas also make their way on to the pages of this book, such as blueberries and pecans. Each haiku extols a certain feature of the food item, and is accompanied by the delightful illustrations of Rafael López. Each food highlighted also has a brief history of the discovery and uses of it by natives to the Americas. 

Critical Analysis

This collection of haiku about foods native to the Americas is both descriptively and visually appealing. Ms. Mora takes great care to select just the right words to convey the essence of the food she describes in just seventeen syllables. The haiku Ms. Mora about each food is captivating in its simplicity; each poem zeros in on a particular quality that is readily relatable for readers.

Not only does this collection of poetry capture the spirit of the food item, but a succinct history of how that food relates to Hispanic/Latino cultural history is included. The short histories pinpoint where on the American continents the food is thought to have been first used, how it was used by early inhabitants, and connections to current uses of the food. Readers are provided with real-world connections that make this book so much more than fanciful poetry.

Throughout both the historical synopsis on each page and the poetry itself, tastes of Spanish vocabulary flavor the writing. Context clues, illustrations, and direct definitions help the reader understand possibly unfamiliar words. From the opening line of the haiku “Pumpkin”, “Under round luna”, to the historical explanation of the pumpkin, which includes, “The word pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepon, which means ‘large melon’,” the reader is submersed in a interlinguistic feast.  Ms. Mora tells the reader in her author’s note that she loves variety, and readers have the advantage of a smorgasbord of language and cultural tidbits in Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico!.

Rafael López provides illustrations rich in detail and allure. Full-page illustrations are both fanciful and relevant. For instance, on the Chocolate page, a young girl with soft caramel skin savors a chocolate chip cookie, with chocolate dripping down her chin, while children in the background with varying darker skin tones chase after delectable chocolate desserts floating on clouds. The variety of skin tones reflects the diverse population that has roots in the Hispanic/Latino culture. Mr. López captures many details characteristic of Hispanics: clothing, hairstyles, familial relationships, and activities appear throughout the book. All of these enhance the poetry, careful to convey the importance of Hispanic heritage while enriching the text.

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico! is a wonderful representation of Hispanic history and culture, presented in the context of foods readers will relate to. I would recommend it to readers of any age who are interested in learning more about food history, interlingual poetry, or Hispanic cultural heritage.

Book Reviews

Julie Cummins (Booklist, Dec. 1, 2007 (Vol. 104, No. 7))

Starred Review* 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. An author’s note, which addresses lingering scientific debate about the geographical origins of some of the featured foods, also includes a warm celebration of diversity.

Ruie Chehak (Library Media Connection, February 2008)

If you love food, this book will appeal to you. Pat Mora offers a sumptuous feast of Native American foods in haiku, a seventeen-syllable poem written with 3 lines in a 5-7-5 syllable format. With the sparkling words and the alluring illustrations, the reader will crave something to eat. Mora has captured just the right combination of fun, flavor, and information. This is sure to be a hit with almost every reader. Teachers and media specialists will love having this book in their collections. Recommended.

Awards; Best Book Lists

Amérias Award for Children’s Literature, 2008, Consortium of Latin American Programs 



Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) Master List, 2008-2009



Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books, 2008



Great Lakes Great Books Award master list, 2008/2009

Notable Children's Books, 2008 ; ALSC American Library Association; United States

Best Children's Books of the Year, 2008 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States

Booklist Book Review Stars , Dec. 1, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States

Lasting Connections, Book Links, 2007



Connections

Reading/Writing:

·      Students will read samplings of other poems about food, such as those found at http://voices.yahoo.com/childrens-poem-food-abcs-2970252.html ,

http://www.poetry4kids.com/cat-Food.html , or Food Hates You, Too and Other Poems by Robert

Weinstock (ISBN  978-1423113911) Students will compose their own food poem, and illustrate it.

·      Students will take one of the haiku in Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico!  and write an original 5 line poem about the same food. Both poems will be shared with the class. Students will compare and contrast the formats, identifying the amount of description in each.

·      Students will write a concrete poem about one of the foods in Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico!  or one of their own favorite foods.

·      Learn more about Pat Mora and Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico!  at her website http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/yum.htm View webcasts, find curriculum connections, and view a clip of Ms. Mora reading this book!

Social Studies:

·      Students will locate the places listed as the original growth zone of the foods identified in Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico! on a map. Students will create their own map, color coding the foods and creating a corresponding map legend.

·      Students will research other foods that originated in the Americas. Students will create a presentation using PoiwerPoint, Prezi, or another presentation tool to share their findings with the class.

·      Older students (5th grade-middle school) will learn about the Columbian Exchange at http://public.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/hist106web/site19/index.html Students will write a three paragraph paper detailing how the Columbian Exchange changed the world.

Art:

·      Students will create a mosaic depicting their favorite food. Students will use items such as wrapping paper or wallpaper samples, tissue paper, construction paper scraps, or fabric scraps to construct the mosaic.

·      Students will design a placemat of a meal they would like to eat, using the foods mentioned in Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que rico! . Illustrate and display on bulletin board “Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡ Let’s Eat!”.

Other books by Pat Mora

Young Adult Books Poetry

▪                Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love (2010)

▪                My Own True Name: New and Selected Poems for Young Adults (2000)

Children’s Books Rhymes and Poetry

▪                This Big Sky

▪                Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day, Book Day/Celebremos el Día de los niños, el Día de los libros (bilingual)

▪                Confetti: Poems for Children

▪                Confeti: Poemas para niños (Spanish edition)

▪                Delicious Hullabaloo: Pachanga deliciosa (bilingual)

▪                The Desert Is My Mother/El desierto es mi madre(bilingual)

▪                Gracias/Thanks

▪                Join Hands: The Way We Celebrate

▪                Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers

▪                ¡Marimba! Animales A-Z

▪                The Song of St. Francis and the Animals

▪                Uno, dos, tres: One, Two, Three

▪                Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America’s Sproutings

▪                Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! Brotes de las Américas(Spanish edition)

Prose

▪                Abuelos

▪                Abuelos (Spanish edition)

▪                Agua Agua Agua

▪                Agua Agua Agua (Spanish edition)

▪                The Bakery Lady/La señora de la panaderia (bilingual)

▪                A Birthday Basket for Tía

▪                Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman With a Great Big Heart

▪                Doña Flor: Un Cuento de una Mujer Gigante con un Grande Corazón (Spanish edition)

▪                The Gift of the Poinsettia: El regalo de la flor de nochebuena (bilingual)

▪                A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inés

▪                Una Biblioteca para Juana: El Mundo de Sor Juana Inés (Spanish edition)

▪                Listen to the Desert: Oye al desierto

▪                Maria Paints the Hills

▪                My Family/Mi Familia series: Here Kitty, Kitty/¡Ven gatita, ven! (bilingual)

▪                My Family/Mi Familia series: Let’s Eat ¡A comer! (bilingual)

▪                My Family/Mi Familia series: Sweet Dreams ¡Dulces sueños! (bilingual)

▪                My Family/Mi Familia series: Wiggling Pockets/Los bolsillos saltarines (bilingual)

▪                The Night the Moon Fell

▪                La noche que se cayó la luna (Spanish edition)

▪                Pablo’s Tree

▪                A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas

▪                The Race of Toad and Deer

▪                La carrera del sapo y el venado (Spanish edition)

▪                The Rainbow Tulip

▪                Tomás and the Library Lady

▪                Tomás y la señora de la biblioteca (Spanish edition)

Adult Books Poetry

▪                Adobe Odes

▪                Agua Santa/Holy Water

▪                Aunt Carmen’s Book of Practical Saints

▪                Borders

▪                Chants

▪                Communion

Nonfiction

▪                House of Houses

▪                Nepantla

▪                Zing

Neighborhood Odes

Neighborhood Odes

A Poetry Collection

By Gary Soto

Illustrated by David Diaz

cover image retrieved 10/11/12 from

http://www.garysoto.com/poetry.html

Bibliography

Soto, Gary. Neighborhood Odes: A Poetry Collection. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 1992.  ISBN 9780756950613.

Summary

The glories of the everyday are depicted in this collection of poems that wind their way through a neighborhood. Delightful images of a barrio full of personality convey the interesting details of the neighborhood. Poems detail such common items as a tortilla, tennis shoes, and a cat. Readers absorb the warmth of the descriptions as Mr. Soto relates the stories of the neighborhood in lyrical language. An ending glossary comes to the aide of readers who are unable to decipher the meaning of Spanish words sprinkled through the poems to add authenticity and flavor.

Critical Analysis

A feast for the literary palate, Neighborhood Odes celebrates the common things that make a neighborhood special. Mr. Soto takes great care to select a variety of subject matter, both to support the cultural authenticity of the Hispanic setting and to communicate the importance of the heritage of the neighborhood. A moderate amount of Spanish is included throughout the poetry, adding flavor and realism. Students often speak in a mix of English and a little Spanish in their daily conversations; this cultural norm carries over well into the poems, which artfully come across as conversational between the poet and reader. Of the twenty-one poems, ten have Spanish words in the title. Context clues, occasional illustrations, and a glossary clue in any reader who is unsure of foreign word meanings.

The inclusion of Spanish words in the poems captures the intimacy of the neighborhood stroll. Each poem is entitled “Ode to _____”. The use of Spanish terms in some of the titles is enchanting, inviting the reader to begin to figure out the meaning. In “Ode to el Guitarrón”, the reader is given several clues that this is a musical instrument: “I place it between my legs like a cello and thump the strings;” “The neighborhood kids ……. Come running to ask, “¿Que us?” “Música” I tell them with pride. “Do you want another song?” Such is the magic of interlingual text to entertain and inspire the reader.

Illustrations by award winner David Diaz add complexity to the poetry. Rendered completely in black and white, the block illustrations are extravagant, with a mystical feel. People in the illustrations are shown with both light and dark skin, underscoring the mix of ethnic identities that make up the Spanish culture. Squash, pumpkins, tropical flowers, and clothing are representative of the culture. While the poems outnumber the illustrations, the ten pictures add great meaning and detail to the poems.

This is an interesting look at a neighborhood, whether considering the culture or not. Readers who are eager to learn new vocabulary, get a taste of a real barrio, or who are intrigued by the idea of looking at a place through a different lens will like this book. I recommend it for upper elementary through high school.

Reviews

Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, June 15, 1992 (Vol. 88, No. 20))

Set in a Mexican American neighborhood, these odes celebrate subjects such as tortillas, tennis shoes, libraries, pinatas, weddings, and pomegranates. Sprinkled throughout the unrhymed verse, Spanish words give a flavor of difference, though many of the experiences are universal. Recommended for larger poetry collections and libraries seeking Hispanic voices.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 1992)

Twenty-one poems reflect pleasures, loves, joys, regrets and fears experienced growing up in a Chicano neighborhood in California. The poet hones in on the small details of ordinary places (the park, the library) and ordinary things (a sprinkler, Pablo's tennis shoes) with such extraordinary clarity of vision that each ode packs an emotional punch, taking the reader by surprise.

Awards; Best Book Lists

Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, Tenth Edition, 1993 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States

Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States

Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson; United States

Eureka! California in Children's Literature, 2003 ; Book Wholesalers, Inc.; United States

Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000 ; H.W. Wilson; United States

Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005 ; H.W. Wilson; United States

Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of the Social Studies, 1992 ; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS; United States

Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education; California

YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 1993 ; American Library Association; United States

Connections

Reading/Writing:

·      Find out more about Neighborhood Odes: A Poetry Collection and Gary Soto at his website http://www.garysoto.com/poetry.html

·      Explore other books that combine English and Spanish in their text, such as those highlighted at http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/books/c367/ . Students will compile a list of Spanish words and their meanings. Use the words to create an original concrete or freestyle poem written in English, but containing Spanish words that have context clues or illustrations to explain their meanings.

·      Gary Soto says on his website that he believes in the art of letter writing, and encourages students to practice it. Hence, he does not list his email address, only his physical address. http://www.garysoto.com/contact.html   Students will compose a letter in proper format to send to Mr. Soto giving their opinions about bilingual books and/or his poetry.

Art:

·      The illustrations in this book are black and white block art. Students will select a poem from the book and create a full-color illustration for it, paying attention to include details that will help the reader understand Spanish words in the poem.

·      Students will construct their own class piñata, or work in small groups to construct piñatas. Instead of filling them with candy, which is against State Nutritional Guidelines, students will fill the piñatas with small trinkets, hand-drawn pictures, and kind words, similar to fortune cookie strips that say something positive. Arrange for students to read the Gary Soto poem “Ode to la Piñata” to a younger class, and take along their piñata for the students to break open and enjoy.

Math/Social Studies:

·      Students will research Spanish-speaking countries and English-speaking countries. They will then construct a chart showing the comparison of countries with each of these languages as their predominant language.

Other Books by Gary Soto

Poetry collections

Partly Cloudy: Poems of love and longing (Harcourt, 2009)

A Simple Plan (Chronicle Books, 2007)

One Kind of Faith (Chronicle Books, 2003)

Junior College (1997)

New and selected poems (Chronicle Books, 1995) National Book Award finalist

Canto Familiar/Familiar Song (1994)

Neighborhood Odes (1992)

Home Course in Religion (1991)

Who Will Know Us? (1990)

Black Hair (1985)

Where Sparrows Work Hard (1981)

The Tale of Sunlight (1978)

The Elements of San Joaquin (1977)

Young Adult/Children's Books

Baseball in April (1990)

A Fire in My Hands (1991)

Taking Sides (1991)

Pacific Crossing (1992)(Sequel to Taking Sides added by DaeQuan Jones)

Too Many Tamales (1992)

The Skirt (1992)

The Pool Party (1993)

Local News (1993)

Jesse (1994)

7th grade (1994)

Crazy Weekend (1994)

Boys at Work (1995)

Summer On Wheels (1995)

Canto Familiar (1995)

The Cat's Meow (1997)

Fearless Fernie (2002)

If the Shoe Fits (2002)

Marisol (2005)

When Dad Came Back (2011) ebook

Chato

Beginning in 1995 with Chato's Kitchen (Chato y su cena),[9] Soto released a series of children's picture books in Spanish and English about a real, cool cat (gato), a low rider from the barrio of East Los Angeles. They were illustrated by Susan Guevara, and the second one Chato and the Party Animals (Chato y los amigos pachangueros.) (2000) won the Pura Belpre Medal for best illustration in 2002.[10] The series continued with Chato Goes Cruisin' (2004) [11] and Chato's Day of Dead (2006).

Anthologies as editor

Entrance: Four Latino Poets (1976)

California Childhood (1988)

Pieces of Heart (1993)

Afterlife(1999)

Memoir

Living Up the Street (1985), American Book Award

Small Faces (1986)

Lesser Evils: Ten Quartets (1988)

A Summer Life (1990)

The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy (2001)

Plays

Novio Boy: A play (2006)

One Hundred Is a Family

One Hundred is a Family

By Pam Muñoz Ryan

Illustrated by Benrei Huang

image retrieved 10/11/12 from

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-hundred-is-a-family-pam-munoz-ryan/1000102690

Bibliography

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. One Hundred is a Family. New York: Hyperion for Children, 1994.  ISBN 9781413166675.

Summary

A counting book and story of unity all rolled into one, One Hundred is a Family takes the reader on a trek through the numbers 1-10, then counting by 10’s to 100. Each scenario is centered on the activity of a family, from one finding a place to call home, to one hundred caring for the universe. Number words are used, rather than numerals, as the story counts on, giving readers an opportunity to practice reading skills as well as counting skills.  

Critical Analysis

One Hundred is a Family is an example of multiculturalism at its peak. Ms. Ryan takes care to create scenes in her counting book that could occur in a multitude of cultures. Realistic activities, such as meal time and celebrations, involve families and friends supporting one another and enjoying time together. Rather than just focus on Hispanic culture, African Americans, Asians, and Whites are also a part of the mix. This gives the story a more global feel, which is reflected on the final page, “making life better for every ONE on earth.” The global community concept is present throughout, but it is not presented in a preachy manner.

The families that appear on each page are depicted by Ms. Huang embody a wide range of skin tones, familial relationships, and activities. Many illustrations show a variety of skin tones, communicating a feeling that families are not always defined by a particular culture or ethnicity. From common meal times to star gazing, to group efforts like apple harvest or coexisting in a neighborhood. Facial expressions reflect a variety of emotions in each setting, which lends more reality. Not every participant has the same reaction to an event; Ms. Huang captures that uniqueness of spirit in her soft watercolors that appeal to readers of all ages.

While this is not the typical counting book, using words instead of numerals, it is a fun look at families and cultures that most people can relate to. I would recommend it for early readers or any reader looking for examples of multiculturalism.

Reviews

Annie Ayres (Booklist, November 1, 1994 (Vol. 91, No. 5))

ONE is a family finding a place to call home. / TWO is a family starting a new life of their own. / . . . ONE HUNDRED is a family caring for the fragile universe . . . / and making life better for every ONE on earth." In singsong verse, Ryan uses groups of different kinds of "families" to count from 1 to 10 and then by 10s to 100. Huang's sprightly illustrations reflect Ryan's vision of families as a "patchwork of possibilities."

Meredith Kiger, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)

This book presents a multicultural, non-traditional opportunity for young children to explore the evolving roles of family through a counting book. It is a nice beginning for further discussion on multiculturalism.

Awards; Best Book List

American Experience: Strength from Diversity ; ALSC American Library Association; United States

Connections

Cross-Curricular:

·      Students will read other counting books, identifying the theme, such as those listed at  http://www.agatebooks.com/children-books/counting-books.html  Compare and contrast these to One Hundred is a Family. Students will then make a counting book with a twist, such as including counting by tens. Students might choose to design their counting book with a skip counting pattern (2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, etc.); with the number words in another language (using Google translate at http://translate.google.com or a similar program to translate English number words); counting backwards, etc.  Illustrate each page of books and display them in classroom library after sharing with the class. Students may complete this project individually or in small groups.

·      Students will examine “families”, thinking outside the box: families of facts, animal families, color families, etc. Students will create an advertising poster, introducing the family to the class and explaining in short blurbs what relationship exists between the items in the family. The poster should have a full color illustration and be persuasive in convincing the viewer that this family is a great one to belong to.

·      Students will select one page from the book  One Hundred is a Family. Write a one-page story telling more about what is going on in the illustration, incorporating the text in some way. Share with the class.

·      Upper elementary students will select one page from the book. Identify cultures represented in the text and illustration. What cultural marker clues helped identify the culture? What other cultural markers could be included to make the culture even more apparent, without being stereotypical?

·      Students will work in cooperative learning groups to design a neighborhood map that shows all of the events described in the text of One Hundred is a Family. Include a map legend and scale. Bonus: identify community helpers and important community locations around the map.

·      Visit Pam Muñoz Ryan’s website at http://www.pammunozryan.com to learn more about her and see cover art of her other books. Reader’s Theater scripts are available for some of her books. Advanced students can examine them, and create a Reader’s Theater script for One Hundred is a Family to share with the class and other classes.

·      View and discuss a video interview with author Pam Muñoz Ryan at http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ryan/

Other Books by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising

Becoming Naomi Leon

Un caballo llamado Libertad

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson

The Flag We Love

Paint The Wind

The Dreamer

Hello Ocean

Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride

Mice and Beans

Pinky is a Baby Mouse, A (Pinky Baby)

One Hundred Is a Family

The Crayon Counting Book

Nacho And Lolita

Tony Baloney

There Was No Snow On Christmas Eve

Mud Is Cake

Cornelia And The Great Snake Escape

Our California

Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts: And Other Places Animals Live

How Do You Raise a Raisin?

A Box of Friends

Disney's Doug Chronicles: The Funnie Family Vacation

Doug Counts Down (Doug Picture Book)

Tony Baloney : school rules

California Here We Come!

Riding Freedom

Disney's Doug's Treasure Hunt: Over 50 Flaps

Cornelia and the Show-and-tell Showdown