Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!

Title: Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!

Author: Pat Mora.

Illustrator: Rafael Lopez (Pura Belpre Honor Award Winner).

Awards: Amérias Award for Children’s Literature - 2008, Consortium of Latin American Programs, Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) Master List 2008-2009, ALA Notable - 2008, Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books – 2008, 

Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year – 2008, Lasting Connections, Book Links – 2007 and Great Lakes Great Books Award master list - 2008/2009.

Medium: Acrylic illustrations on wood panels.

Genre: Blurring genres of poetry and informational genres because on each page there was a paragraph describing the origins and uses of indigenous food and a haiku, which included short lines and repetition of syllables (5-7-5) to describe the indigenous food.

Theme: Appreciation of indigenous food.

Summary: A vividly illustrated book describing various indigenous foods such as chocolate and blueberries of the Americas with facts and haikus.

Literary Elements: The setting was in the present time with make-believe places like chocolate castle on clouds in the sky and real places like the jungles and deserts and they were a backdrop for the haikus. Characterization was flat and static, the book and illustrations were about the haikus and foods and there were no significant characters in the book. The static characters ranged from boys, girls, families, animals like birds, snakes, coyotes and personified objects like a slice of bread and a pineapple. The plot was episodic and flat. Each haiku has its own plot by describing the indigenous foods; there were no connection between the haikus except for the theme of indigenous foods. There were no conflicts or resolutions in the plot. The theme was appreciation of indigenous foods, their origin and history, how people used them in their meals and what they loved about it. Another unifying theme was family and comfort, the illustrations showed the theme through the book with gathering of families and various characters looking comfortable and happy eating the indigenous foods. The style of the author, Pat Mora and the illustrator, Rafael Lopez was consistent through the book. Pat Mora wrote the haikus and they all were 5-7-5 syllables and about indigenous foods and poetry was her style in some of her other books too. Rafael Lopez’s illustrations were done in vivid Mexican art styles, which were strongly influenced by Mexican muralists in Mexico City and Miguel san de Allende where he grew up and currently lives. His other works including posters, editorials, post stamps and children books had the same illustration style. The author wrote the haikus with different point–of-views, depending on each haiku. There were first, second and third point-of-views used in the haikus with the most haikus being told from first and second point-of-views.

Evaluation: This book may be static and flat but I loved the vivid illustrations and the haikus. The illustration depicted the haikus beautifully with colorful and whimsical designs and I feel connected with the haikus because they described the indigenous foods perfectly. My favorite one was peanut with the haiku, “ Smear nutty butter, then jelly. Gooey party, My sandwich and me.” (Mora, 2007). Peanut butter and jelly sandwich was one of my favorite foods growing up and I know many children love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and they would love the haiku. The haikus were something young children can connect and identify with food. I thought this book was a wonderful book to introduce young students to poetry with short and sweet haikus and the history of indigenous food and this can be expanded to include classroom activities about various food histories, cultures and traditions.