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.