Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! By Pat Mora


  1. Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! By Pat Mora


  1. Bibliography

Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. New York, NY; Lee & Low Books. ISBN 1600608922.


  1. Plot Summary

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Is an illustrated children’s book that depicts different foods that play an important role in the hispanic culture. These foods vary from blueberries, chiles, and chocolate to corn, cranberries, and papayas. Along with this wide variety of food, comes a short description of how that food came about.  Written in haiku format, Pat Mora presents a historical and culturally inclusive story that children will want to take a bite out of.


  1. Critical Analysis (Including cultural markers)

This is a story, unlike any that I have read before. I wouldn’t even necessarily consider it a story, as there doesn’t seem to be a main character, or really a plot to go along with it. Actually, this book more-or-less discusses foods found in the hispanic culture and how it relates to certain scenarios. 

The illustrations in this story are truly what help to relay a plot line if there is any to mention. On each page, a new story unfolds, as a new food is discussed. For example, on the page that discusses chocolate, a little girl is biting into a chocolate chip cookie. The sheer delicious taste of the chocolate causes her to escape to a candyland dream, set with chocolate pie clouds and a chocolate cake trampoline. Without these story-telling illustrations, there would only be the food and its important contributions to the hispanic culture.

One thing that I find interesting about this story is that it is written in poetry format; in haiku to be exact. I find this interesting because it seems as though two separate cultures are melding into one. The traditional japanese haiku format presents the subject of traditional foods found in hispanic cultures. This act seems to be an acceptance of all cultures and it will teach teach to do the same. 

 

  1. Review Excerpts

Kirkus Review: “Haiku celebrating the diversity of edible plants native to the Americas—blueberries, chocolate, prickly pears, pecans and more. Each spread includes an informative paragraph explaining the probable origin, history and some trivia for the plant described in the poem.”


Lee & Low Books: “If you love food, this book will appeal to you. . . . With sparkling words and the alluring illustrations, the reader will crave something to eat.”


  1. Connections

Look for these other illustrated books for young people: 


Maillard, Kevin Noble. FRY BREAD. ISBN 1626727465.


Sorrel, Traci. WE ARE GRATEFUL. ISBN 158089772X.


Lindstrom, Carole. WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS. ISBN 1250203554.

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