Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que´ Rico! Lee & Low Books, Inc.: New York. ISBN: 978-0-329-70160-4.
About the Book
This unique collection of Haiku has something for everyone. On the left of each page is a brief informative description of a food (for example, Potato) giving a probable origin, history, and trivia. On the right page is a Haiku about the edible plants native to the Americas. The two page illustrations are interesting, intriguing, and appropriate for this genre. The foods and places highlighted are traditional in the southwest, including Mexico and Texas, among others. 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." The language used is light and kid-friendly and includes a few simple Spanish words which are defined on the title page verso. Everyone who eats food will enjoy this collection.
One Poem
Pecan
We crack hard, brown shells,
family munching, story time,
crunch taste of fall.
Activities
*Poetry Break - Using the poem "Pecan." In a transition time, between subjects or while preparing to head out of the classroom, share this short poem. Discuss the language ('munching') and possible setting (fall). Also talk about what a family story time might be like - what might the stories be about?
*Bring in familiar and some of the uncommon foods mentioned in the collection. Research more information about them - where they grow, in what season they are best, etc. - and allow the students to taste samples of each variety.
*Allow students in the class to vote on their favorite natural foods. Find out their source and name the food in Spanish. Make a graph depicting the food choices or their origin.
*Grow a simple plant (bean sprout, for example) by allowing each student to place soil and a seed in a cup. Watch the growth and keep a journal documenting their observations.
*Read other collections by Pat Mora and compare them to the Haiku included in this collection.
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