Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! Book Review

 















1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, P. (2018). YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO! Lerner Publishing Group.  ISBN: 9781430130727


2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This poetry book is written in Spanish and English and tells of delicious foods. The left page of the book is about the history of the food, and the right page is a poem about the food. 


 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In Yum! MmMm! Que Rico, the haiku poems are based on indigenous foods of the Americas. There is a pattern set forth on the pages. For each native food, there is the history and several facts about that food. The next page is a haiku based on that food. The characters on the pages are of Latin descent; their hair color and skin tones are authentic. Their clothing is also indicative of their heritage, whether from Mexico or North, Central, or South America. 

The settings are as diverse as the countries represented. With each page of facts of the country of origin, background illustrations depict that landscape. There are many landscapes of nature, which include fields of food grown, jungles, bodies of water, and even a volcano. 

There are numerous references to the Latinx culture in Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! Beginning with the characters’ hair texture and skin tone, they depict a variety of all the Americas appropriately. Their traditional clothing also reflects their diversity. The foods such as peppers, chocolate, and corn date back to the time of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations. Latinx culture is represented by the vibrant colors of the illustrations. The use of Spanish and English words expresses how bilingual households are. Traditional foods such as tamales, guacamole, and papayas are staples in the Latinx cuisine. 

The pictures in this book use colors to represent the Latinx affection of vibrancy. Lopez 

uses pottery, baskets, and textiles inspired by the culture. The diversity of the characters across the pages helps readers to see themselves and others represented in meaningful ways. Latinx culture is tied to their native lands and how they interact with it. People are enjoying their foods represented on the pages. Folklore plays a part as well by personifying some of the foods and having a dragon trying to eat prickly pears. Lopez captures the Latinx culture in the illustrations that transcend the haikus by reinforcing the heritage. 


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

  • ALA Notable Children's Books, 2008

  • AudioFile starred, 01/01/14 *

  • Book Links, 01/01/09

  • Book Links starred, 01/01/08

  • Booklist, 04/15/14 *

  • Booklist starred, 12/01/07

  • Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 12/01/07

Horn Book Magazine, 04/01/08

Library Media Connection, 02/01/08

  • Multicultural Review, 03/01/08

  • School Library Journal, 09/01/07

  • Wilson's Children, 10/01/10



Full-Text Reviews
Booklist starred (December 1, 2007 (Vol. 104, No. 7))

Grades 1-4. 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. From blueberries to prickly pears to corn, the acrylic-on-wood-panel illustrations burst with vivid colors and stylized Mexican flair. The poems capture the flavor of the item in a way children can easily understand—Chocolate: Fudge, cake, pie, cookies. / Brown magic melts on your tongue. / Happy, your eyes dance; Pineapple: A stiff, spiky hat / on thick prickly skin, inside / hide syrupy rings. The print of the text in the sidebars is too small, but otherwise 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. 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: We do know that all these plants were grown and enjoyed . . . long before Christopher Columbus or any other Europeans had ever tasted such wonderful foods. The world’s variety is amazing—and delicious.



  • 5. CONNECTIONS

Related Books:

Muth, J. J. (2015). Hi, Koo! Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9780545777643

Aylesworth, J. (2001). THE BURGER AND THE HOT DOG. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780689838972

Activities:

Students can create a food poem
















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