This post was written as a Master's course assignment for Texas Woman's University.
Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!: AMERICA'S SPROUTINGS/HAIKU BY PAT MORA. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: LEE & LOW BOOKS, Inc. ISBN 9781584302711.
2. BOOK SUMMARY
Pat Mora's collection of haiku about delectable fruits, veggies, and foods that are found and/or grown in the Americas. Each haiku tells a brief introductory tale about the highlighted food, what it looks like and tastes like, and how it may be prepared and enjoyed. Juxtaposed on the facing page is an explanatory paragraph, detailing the origins of the food, and sometimes featuring its translation into another language (Spanish, French, or Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs).
What a delightful journey for the reader, as Mora leads us through descriptions of cranberries, chocolate, potatoes, corn, and many others. In CRANBERRY, the reader is reminded of the first time she saw a cranberry pop, as "scarlet fireworks." The PINEAPPLE haiku is a great example of alliteration with "stiff, spiky hat" and "syrupy rings."
Sometimes, a Spanish word is infused into the haiku, adding to the musicality of the language. The PUMPKIN grows "under round luna," the perfect image of a huge harvest moon over a pumpkin field. The reader also learns a great deal from the explanatory paragraphs, such as the fact (from PAPAYA) that "a papaya can weigh as much as twenty pounds." This book is highly enjoyable and educational, for very young children especially, as well as children of all ages. It is also an excellent reference for how to write beautiful haiku poems.
The illustrations, by Rafael Lopez, contribute so much magic to the already tangible moments throughout the book. In POTATO, the "salt and pepper clouds" resemble magical fairy dust raining down on the pile of mashed potatoes. The beautiful haiku verse are enhanced by the gorgeous, colorful, artful illustrations.
3. POEM HIGHLIGHT
The poem I chose to highlight from this wonderful collection (from many contenders) is CHOCOLATE. With ooey-gooey-ness oozing from the poem and the image, this choice also allows for many experimental follow-up activities, including samplings of all types of the foods mentioned within, as well as a practice writing exercise in haiku, about favorite treats. Que rico, indeed!
CHOCOLATE
Fudge, cake, pie, cookies.
Brown magic melts on your tongue.
Happy, your eyes dance.
(By Pat Mora)
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