Native American Lit: Birdsong

Birdsong

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

Flett, Julie. 2019. Birdsong. Vancouver: Greystone Books. ISBN 1771644737

 

Plot Summary:

In the span of a year, Katherena's life changes dramatically. In the spring, she moves with her mother from a house by the sea to a new home in the country. In the summer, her mother encourages her to go visit their older neighbor, Agnes whom Katherena instantly bonds with over a love of art and creating. In the fall, Katherena visits Agnes again and again, each visit bringing the two friends closer. In winter, Agnes gets sick and Katherena brings her salmon soup. When spring rolls around again, Katharena visits her friend to bring the beauty of nature to Agnes's bedroom.The two talk about art and enjoy the silence of each other's company. When Katherena leaves she reflects on how privileged she is to have Agnes as a friend.

Critical Analysis:

Julie Flett's talent for storytelling and creating are exquisitely showcased in Birdsong. A Cree-Metis author and illustrator, Flett shares her cultural background throughout the picture book. The thoughtful text sets a slower pace for this read and creates a reflective mood throughout the story. Simple sentences are expertly crafted to paint images in the readers mind and evoke emotion. For example in the line "It's a murky spring morning as we pack up the last of our belongings and leave our little home in the city by the sea" (Flett 2019) the words are simple enough, but the imagery is strong and the sadness of the character palatable. Strong descriptive words and meaningful dialogue move the story along at just the right pace showing the passing of time in both the everyday and the friendships developed over time.

 

Flett's pastel and pencil illustrations are soft and emotional. The natural colors and textures compliment the mood of the text. The earthy tones match the story's seasonal structure and bring a sense of calm and order to the story. In addition to the use of natural tones, Flett includes other authentic cultural markers throughout the text. Her characters are authentically represented in skin tone and show the everyday life of someone sharing her culture. The illustrations have a strong focus on nature and the natural order that nature brings to the world. The color tones, textures, and soft sometimes blurry lines, create soothing images. Flett focuses on birds throughout the illustrations, including a different species on almost every page. At times, the birds are the focus of the illustration as when the geese fly south for winter and other times they are subtly included sitting in a tree outside a window. The story and birds come full circle in the end when Katherena's drawings of each bird are put up around Agnes's room. Beautifully crafted, each illustration enhances the story and impresses the importance of connection to nature and creativity.

 

Cultural markers of the Cree-Metis people can be found flawlessly woven into the text. Authentic names are used for characters like Katharena and her dog, Ôhô which means owl in Cree. Katharena also tells Agnes about the Cree seasons, explaining that the current month "is called pimihâwîpisim - the migrating moon" (Flett, 2019). Katharena sleds on a toboggan and makes salmon soup to take to her friend. These small details help paint a beautiful authentic picture of a young Cree girl who has found a true friend in her neighbor.

 

Ultimately, Birdsong is a celebration of friendship. The friendship that develops between Katharena and Agnes shows how friendships can develop through shared interests regardless of age. It is the art and act of creating things that brings them together. Strong themes of nature, friendship, the passage of time, and finding beauty in the small moments all make this book a charming book about life.

Review Excerpts & Awards: 

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY (September 30, 2019) "Cycling from spring to spring, Flett's subtle, sensitive story delicately traces filaments of growth and loss through intergenerational friendship, art making, and changing moons and seasons. Cree-Métis words (defined in a small glossary) add an intimate layer of identity to the child’s lustrous narration, which shines against the spare beauty of rich illustrations by Flett (who is Cree-Métis)"

 

KIRKUS REVIEWS (July 1, 2019) "Flett’s simple story explores the difficulties of moving but also shows young readers how new friends can sometimes ease them; that this friendship is an intergenerational one between fellow artists is an especially sweet touch. Flett (Cree/Métis) employs her characteristically minimalist style, placing Katherena against flat expanses of greensward that changes with the seasons, birds wheeling above in silhouette. Katherena and her mom both have brown skin and straight, black hair; Agnes has brown skin as well, but she does not speak Cree. Emotionally stunning.

• Winner of the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, 2020
• American Indian Youth Literature Honor Title, 2020
• A Boston Globe - Horn Book Honor Book
• Best Book of the Year: Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus, Horn Book, Quill & Quire, Globe and Mail
  

 Curricular Connections:

• Seasons are an important element of the book. Have students create a collage of their favorite season using a variety of materials and textures.
  
• Friendship is an important theme in Birdsong. Discuss what makes a good friend using examples from the book and create an anchor chart for reference.
• Moving to a new place is difficult. Pair this text with Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina to explore how friendships may change and develop during this transitional time. 
• Create a character change visual using a circle divided into 4 equal parts to show how Katherena changes throughout the year, season by season.

Native American Lit: Rez Dogs

 Rez Dogs

A Review by Amanda Kendall

 

Bibliography:

Bruchac, Joseph. 2021. Rez Dogs. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0593326210

 

Plot Summary:

Malian is visiting her grandparents on the Wabanaki reservation when the world shuts down due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. With all travel halted, the reservation goes into lock down and Malian is unable to return to her parents in the city. She remains on the reservation helping to care for her grandparents and attending online school. Unexpectedly, a dog shows up and makes himself a part of the family. Malsum, a rez dog, has shown up at just the right time. He is there to protect and support the family. Together Malian and Malsum navigate life during the pandemic. Malian's grandparents share stories of their people and their history.  She makes connections between her reality and her people's experiences in the past. She embraces her heritage more with each story and finds the strength she needs to get through the pandemic is deeply rooted in her family, dog, and history.
 

Critical Analysis:

Rez Dogs is uniquely relevant to the lives of children and young adults today. Based on the history we are all living, this special novel will connect with many. Rez Dogs beautifully captures the experiences of many living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Bruchac uses free verse poetry to make Malian's story accessible to young readers. Her thoughts and emotions come across clearly through the poetry allowing the reader to feel her fear and hope every step of the way. Although the novel is set on the Wabanaki reservation, the experience of being stuck at home for months at a time, unable to see friends and participate in regularly scheduled life is universal for kids who are living through the pandemic. However, the reservation is a lovely backdrop for Malian's story to unfold, giving readers an look at how Native Americans live on a reservation today. As Malian explains, it's not the same as being in the big city where she lives with her parents, but just like the rez dogs, the reservation is a part of her and "a rez dog knows where it needs to be" (Bruchac 2021).

 

The text reads quickly, telling the story in a direct yet gentle way. Hard historical are covered but not lingered upon. For example, Grampa Roy reflects on his time in "Indian school" saying "every knuckle on both my hands got broken one time or another from being hit with that heavy ruler" (Bruchac 2021). And Grandma Frances explains how "it was still common for the Indian Health Services to make it so that Indian women could not give birth to any more children after they had had two or three...they'd done - an operation to prevent her from ever having more kids" (Bruchac 2021). In both these instances, Bruchac does a masterful job sharing historical truths with sensitivity and in age appropriate ways. This window into the history of Native Americans is expertly woven into the story. The details are included not to teach the outsider, but rather to show Malian the strength that her people have shown time and time again in the face of adversity, and getting through a global pandemic is another obstacle to overcome.

 

Family and stories are strong themes throughout the novel. Because Malian is locked down with her grandparents, the reader gets a front row seat to the beautiful intergenerational relationship between these characters. Her grandparents are there to protect her, and she is there to protect them. In addition, Malian's grandparents, both master storytellers share stories with her often. They use these stories to teach, guide, and give her strength. Even if she's heard the story before she loves to hear them again because "every storyteller had their own way of seeing a story without really changing it" (Bruchac 2021). At the end of the novel, Malian's teacher assigns an end of the year presentation to "tell your story." After months with her grandparents, Malian is uses her own storytelling skills to present a powerful presentation about her heritage, her family, and the  importance of taking care of each other and the land. 

 

Bruchac's use of cultural markers throughout the text prove why he is one of the most authentic, skilled, and trusted Native American writers for young people. By using authentic names, descriptions, and dialogue, Bruchac's characters are authentic in every way. Malian frequently uses the old Wabanaki language throughout the novel. For example, she says, "Kwai, kwai, nidoba. Hello, hello, my friend" (Bruchac 2021) when she first meets Malsum. Foods and cultural traditions are also included in the story. For example, her grandmother makes fry bread, and they leave a warm piece of bread "under a cedar tree to share it with the Manogies, the little people who are the guardians of the natural world" (Bruchac 2021). The story is saturated with cultural markers because they are so naturally a part of the setting and the characters.  

Review Excerpts & Awards: 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (May 31, 2021) " Employing the third-person perspective, Bruchac intricately interweaves past and present stories, displaying how Native mistreatment has been cyclical with a deft touch in this rewarding intergenerational narrative."

 

BOOKLIST (April 15, 2021) "Episodic in structure, it captures the family’s daily lives and shares the grandparents’ traditional stories, ensuring that a connection remains between them and the natural world. Readers also learn about injustices visited on Native peoples and hear Malian’s white teacher’s declaration that “we need to learn more of each other’s stories.” With this gentle book, Bruchac offers children another story to expand their worlds and hearts."

 Curricular Connections: 

• Invite students to create their own "tell their story" presentation just like Malian's end of the year project.
• Helping others is another important theme in Rez Dogs. Malian's choices while she is staying with her grandparents are always guided by her desire to protect and help her grandparents. Have students make a list of ways they can help and protect their families and others during the pandemic. (Examples: washing hands frequently, staying home when sick, etc.)
  

More Books by Joseph Bruchac:

• Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. 0803729219
• Bruchac, Joseph. Peacemaker. 1984815377
• Bruchac, Joseph. Skeleton Man. 0060290757
• Bruchac, Joseph. Two Roads. 0735228868
• Bruchac, Joseph. Talking Leaves. 0142422983  

Latinx Lit: Carmela Full of Wishes

  Carmela Full of Wishes

A Review by Amanda Kendall

 

Bibliography:

de la Peña, Matt. 2018. Carmela Full of Wishes. Ill. by Christian Robinson. New York: G.P. Putnan's Sons. 9780399549045

 

Plot Summary:

Carmela starts her birthday with candles on her pancakes and the knowledge that she is finally old enough to go with her big brother. The two walk through their thriving community together until they arrive at the local laundromat. There, Carmela finds a lone dandelion puff on the sidewalk. She picks the dandelion and carries it through her community.  From a vending machine that has anything you could desire to a fancy bed for her mother and proper paperwork for her father, Carmela imagines all the wishes she would like to make but is unable to decide how to best use her one dandelion. When Carmela crashes on her scooter, drops the dandelion, and loses her wish that her brother comes to her rescue. He takes her to the beach with a field of dandelion puffs, helping her hold on to hope, and see "the sky is full of wishes" (de la Peña 2018).

Critical Analysis:

Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson prove to be master storytellers with each collaboration. Carmela Full of Wishes is no exception. Peña's text is elegant and precise. His word choice turns each page into a celebration for the senses. His words trigger the sights, sounds, and smells of Carmela's neighborhood for the reader. Her bracelets are "jingling and jangling" (de la Peña 2018), the air smells of "marigolds and overturned earth and fresh manure" (de la Peña 2018), carts are rattling, and brothers are giving annoyed looks. All of these realistic details are woven into the story repetitiously, creating a beautiful narrative that connects each page to the last. As Carmela and her brother journey through town, Peña repeats the sounds of Carmela's bracelets jingling and the word imagining as she thinks of all her wishing possibilities.  Peña also uses repetition throughout the text to create continuity within the story. His dialogue follows this recipe for success and captures a true sibling relationship of both annoyance and support from beginning to end. All in all, Peña's creative choices make Carmela Full of Wishes a joy to read aloud. 

 

Robinson's illustrations compliment and enhance the text every step of the way. His signature collage and paint illustrations are filled with vibrant colors and well used white space. Some pages exude happiness with bold, bright backgrounds while other pages are left more sparse allowing the illustrations to match the feelings of Carmela throughout the story. The characters authentically represent the Hispanic community in the story and include people of all ages and even an expectant mother. They reflect real life and a real community. Cultural markers of the Latin community can be found in many of the backgrounds of the illustrations. For example a flower sign reads "Rosas Flores" and the corn food cart is located right outside the panadería. One of the most eye catching cultural markers is the illustrations of Carmela's wishes. Each wish is showcased in the style of a papel picado, a traditional style of Mexican folk art that involves cutting paper to create intricate designs. Robinson expertly illustrates Carmela's wish coming true within the paper flags design filling the page with unmistakable and well designed cultural reference. 

 
Peña and Robinson's collaboration shows an authentic experience in the Latinx community. Skillfully executed, the picture book has many layers to be explored and understood.  Subtly including themes of labor and immigration, some readers may miss these cultural markers while others may feel seen for the first time, a powerful mirror for these children. For others, it opens a window to the authentic experiences of many and provides an opportunity for important conversations. The book opens with Carmela scooting past the workers in field and the green houses. She mentions walking past the home improvement store where her dad used to wait for work. Her wish for her mother is to sleep in one of "fancy hotel beds" she made. Each one of these examples is Peña's quite way of showcasing the many labor experiences of his community. The theme of immigration is gently touched upon when Carmela imagines her dad "getting his papers fixed so he could finally he home" (de la Peña 2018). The final scene at the beach with the sky filled with dandelion seeds ends the story on a positive and hopeful note. There are always more wishes. There is a "sky full of wishes" (de la Peña 2018). You don't have to pick just one.

Review Excerpts & Awards: 

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY (July 30, 2018) "The award-winning team behind Last Stop on Market Street portrays Carmela's Spanish-speaking community as a vibrant place of possibility, and Robinson's acrylic-and-cutout spreads introduce readers to street vendors, workers in the fields, and sweeping views of the sea. Sensitively conceived and exuberantly executed, Carmela's story shines."

 

KIRKUS REVIEWS (September 1, 2018) "This second de la Peña–Robinson collaboration after Last Stop on Market Street is no less powerful and beautiful. It touches on immigration, class, and loss without belaboring each. And it’s full of rich details, sharp and restrained writing, and acrylic paintings that look textured enough to rise off the page. In one brilliant sequence, Mexican papel picado depicts what Carmela imagines, ending with “her dad getting his papers fixed so he could finally be home” and a cutout of a kneeling father embracing his daughter. It’s a bracing page, the best in the book, and just as sublime as the text. It’s another near-perfect slice of life from a duo that has found a way to spotlight underrepresented children without forgetting that they are children first."

• A Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Children’s Book – Fall 2018
• A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018
• A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2018
• A Boston Globe Best Children’s Book of 2018

 Curricular Connections:

• Carmela thinks hard about her wish. She imagines things like a vending machine that has whatever she wants but also imagines wishes that would improve the lives of the people around her. Like Carmela, have students hold on to hope and make a list of wishes they would like to see come true. 
• Create a dandelion puff painting using white tempra paint and empty toilet paper rolls. Click here for step by step directions on using toilet paper rolls to create the dandelions.
  
• Carmela's birthday is special because of the experience she shares with her brother. Use Carmela Full of Wishes as a mentor text to spark ideas in writing. Have students write about a special memory with a loved one.
• Create your own papel picado project. Step by step directions can be found here.
  

Latinx Lit: The Wild Book

 The Wild Book

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

Engle, Margarita. 2014. The Wild Book. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0544022750

 

Plot Summary:

Fefa has always struggled with words: reading them, writing them and expressing them. Her doctor calls it "word blindness" (now called dyslexia) because letters and words are all jumbled up for her. To help, her mother gives her a blank notebook to fill with words. Hesitant at first, she begins to write her thoughts, words, and poems in the notebook very slowly and deliberately, saying "Even scribbling is such a struggle. Will my blank book ever be full?" (Engle 2014). Over time and with tremendous patience and practice, her confidence and understanding of words grows until her notebook is a thriving garden of words and stories.  In her journal she shares her personal struggles, her family's love of poetry, and the daily dangers of living in Cuba in 1912.

Critical Analysis:

The Wild Book is a beautiful novel in verse based on Engle's grandmother's experiences growing up in Cuba. Engle's free verse poetry is filled with vivid imagery of both the landscape and the characters. The setting plays an intricate role in the story. 1912 Cuba was in a state of unrest. After winning independence from Spain the country was facing uncertain times. Papa explains "rebellions and choas/ have returned/ Danger roams again/ but this time/ the wild men are not soldiers,/ just greedy bandits/ who kidnap children/ and demand/ ransom money" (Engle 2014). Engle skillfully weaves the historical unrest during this time period into events throughout the novel.

 

Engle's characters are beautifully developed and grounded in authenticity. Her mother, father, and brother play a particularly strong role in Fefa's story. Her mother guides and inspires her at the beginning. Her brother encourages her to develop her skills in the middle and finally her father trusts her correctly identify the bandits demanding a ransom from the family. Each supporting character has an important role to play on Fefa's journey.

 

Although working within prose, Engle beautifully develops Fefa's story of struggling reader to budding poet. Engle's manipulation and stretching of words show Fefa's progress as she learns to read. In the beginning everything is labored and slow. "Mama heps me learn how to picture the sep-a-rate parts of each mys-te-ri-ous syl-la-ble. Still, its not easy to go so ss-ll-oo-ww-ll-yy. S l o w l y. SLOWLY!" (Engle 2014). Engle also uses all caps repeatedly to emphasize Fefa's frustration at reading OUT LOUD. By the end of the novel, Fefa is still stretching out words but the words have changed. As she breaks down "Pre-car-i-ous" (Engle 2014) it becomes clear she is no longer the struggling reader she started out as. Coming full circle in her development, Fefa says, "So I puck up one/ of the thick books/ I used to hate, and I open/ its gate-shaped cover/ and I let my strong eyes/ travel/ slowly/ exploring" (Engle 2014). It takes the course of the novel, but eventually Fefa finds her courage in the power of words and now reads slowly not out of necessity, but rather out of enjoyment and wonder.

In addition to authentic characters and setting, The Wild Book is packed with cultural markers that celebrate the Cuban experience. Throughout the novel, Engle blends Spanish words into the text like describing the pansies as pensamiento flowers and consistently referring to alligators as caimán. She includes details of Cuban flavors in everyday life like coconut milk and saffron. From dancing the wild rumba to reciting the poetry of Rubén Darío, details of authentic Cuban life in 1912 are intertwined with the poetic elements that bring the story to life. Themes of love and family across generations are present not only within the novel, but in the fact that Engle is telling her grandmother's story. Finally the inclusion of poetry within a novel written in verse highlights the cultural importance of poetry to the Cuban community. In her author's note Engle says, "it was a time when poetry was a treasured aspect of daily life" (Englie 2014). By referencing other Latinx poets, including a poetry contest in the story, and using prose to tell Fefa's story, Engle has embraced and celebrated Cuba's love of poetry.

Review Excerpts & Awards: 
 

HORN BOOK GUIDE (Spring 2013) "Engle relates, with some fictionalization, her grandmother Fefa's childhood in dangerous early-twentieth-century Cuba. Fefa suffers from "word-blindness" (dyslexia), but she slowly learns to read and write as a blank book from Mama becomes her "garden" in which "words sprout / like seedlings." Spare, dreamlike verse pairs perfectly with a first-person narrator whose understanding of written language is unique."

 

KIRKUS REVIEWS (February 1, 2012) "he author gives readers a portrait of a tumultuous period in Cuban history and skillfully integrates island flora, fauna and mythology into Fefa's first-person tale. This canvas heightens Fefa's determination to rise above the expectations of her siblings, peers and society. A beautiful tale of perseverance."

 Curricular Connections:

• Listen to Margarita Engle share the backstory of the book here. Discuss how Engle uses her family's history to inspire the story and connect to students writing their own stories.
  
• Create a garden of words art project. Encourage students to use a variety of colors and shapes in their concrete poetry to make the gardens look wild and overgrown. Use this art project to turn the metaphor into a reality. 
• Pair with poems by Rubén Darío for extended reading.

Latinx Lit: Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!: Americas' Sproutings

 Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!: 

Americas' Sproutings

A Review by Amanda Kendall

 

Bibliography:

Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!: Americas' Sprouting. Ill. by Rafael López. Orlando: Voyager Books. 0152000769

 

Plot Summary:

In this collection of haiku poems, Mora takes the reader on a tasty journey of native foods from the Americas. Each food is celebrated in a beautiful double page spread that includes a haiku, an informational paragraph of the history of the food, and vibrant illustrations. From blueberries from Maine to tomatoes from Peru, the chosen foods represent the wide variety of delicacies found on the two American continents. All 14 delicious poems capture the unique qualities of the food and honor the impact each one has had on the diverse cultures of the Americas.

Critical Analysis:

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! is a celebration of food, culture, and poetry! Mora's words masterfully use the five, seven, five rules of haiku to capture the essence of each food. Filled with powerful imagery that excites all the senses, readers find themselves immersed in the food in only a few lines. Cranberries are described as "Marsh-floating hard bead/ simmers then POPS! in hot pot/ Scarlet fireworks" (Mora 2007). Each food seems to come alive in those seventeen syllables. Mora also captures the experiences of eating the foods. In the poem "Chile" she writes, "Dad bites green mouth-fire/ laughs when tears fill his eyes, sighs/ ¡Mmmm! This heat tastes good" (Mora 2007). Mora's words paint a picture of both the food and the experience with humor and creativity. The addition of informational paragraphs on each page add to the overall appeal of the text.  Each brief history includes the believed origins of the food, the first uses of the food, and other unique fun facts about each. For example, a papaya can weigh as much as twenty pounds (Mora 2007).

 

The text is made even more engaging through López's joyful and vibrant illustrations. Each page is work of art. López layers colors and varies hues to create beautiful details on each page while using brightly colored textured backgrounds to give each illustration depth and complexity. The people and cultures are authentically and skillfully represented with many images paying homage to the artistic style of Diego Rivera. Filled with humor and joy, these lively illustrations match perfectly with Mora's poems.

 

Cultural markers for this text are woven into the poetry and illustrations. When describing the prickly pear, Mora writes, "Cactus fruit becomes syrup/ and dulces. Surprise!" (Mora 2007). Mora uses both Spanish and English words in her poetry, blending the two languages seamlessly in several poems. López's illustrations authentically represent the many different Latin cultures found within the book. He has authentically represented the people of the Americas with a variety of skin tones, hair styles, and dress. A man from Mexico is depicted wearing a Mexican palm cowboy hat with a modern brim showing that López's illustrations avoid stereotyped or outdated clothing choices. Animals, plants, and instruments like maracas and the timba are also carefully chosen to represent the cultures of a food's origin. Details in each page were carefully chose to authentically reflect the culture behind the food. López even includes traditional housing of the Pueblo in the background of the corn haiku. López has accurately, respectfully, and fully represented the Americas within these pages.

 

Because this is a celebration of foods originating in the Americas, the poems include foods from North, Central, and South America. The political borders have been erased and foods native to the people and cultures of the lands emerge. In the author's note, Mora explains her appreciation of variety in foods, language, people, and poetry (Mora 2007). This celebration of diversity in the native foods of Americas and the cultures that sprouted from these foods is a wonderful way to celebrate the Latinx experience.

Review Excerpts & Awards: 

BOOKLIST (December 1, 2007) "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"

 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (September 1, 2007) "This concept book serves as a delicious introduction to 14 types of food, all of which have their origins in the Americas. Snippets of information and a haiku poem accompany each one, ranging from blueberry and chili pepper through papaya, prickly pear, and vanilla. Using English and a smattering of Spanish words, Mora crafts a playful introduction to each one, as in "Pumpkin": "Under round luna,/scattered tumblings down the rows,/autumn's orange face." The sense of whimsy is further underscored in L-pez's colorful acrylic on wood-panel illustrations. Artful compositions and brilliant complementary colors bear out the book's multicultural themes."

• Amérias Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title , 2008
• Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) Master List, 2008-2009
  
• ALA Notable Children's Books, 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
  
• Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List, 2008-2009

 Curricular Connections:

• Have students write their own favorite food haiku. Display with pictures of the foods drawn by students.
  
• Pair with a social studies lesson on the Colombian Exchange. Learn about old world and new world foods. 
• Conduct a mini-research project on a favorite food. Where did it originate? What's the history of that food or recipe? Students can share the background of their favorite foods with the class through an online platform like SeeSaw or FlipGrid. 
• Watch a video of Pat Mora talking about her writing in general and specifically about this book.