Yum! Mmmm! Qué Rico! (Poetic Form)

Mora, Pat. Yum! Mmmm! Qué Rico!, Americas' Sproutings. Ill. by Rafael López. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2009. ISBN 9781584302711

Haikus never tasted so good! Pat Mora has assembled a feast of poetry in her book Yum! Mmmm! Qué Rico!. Short, succinct poems display the wonderful tastes, moods, sounds, and even events associated with various foods native to the Americas, such as chocolate, papaya, and blueberries. The collection of poems are best heard out-loud and beg readers to engage the poetry with all of their senses. When Mora explains the experience of eating a papaya, she creates a rich sensory experience within the first three words, “Chewing your perfume.” Students will be equally engaged and wish to physically express her poem about the cranberry when it “simmers then POPS!” by clapping, jumping, or making silly noises.

Throughout the book Spanish words are sprinkled into the predominately English text. Young bilingual readers will love being given the chance to translate a few words to their English speaking counterparts. For inquisitive readers, sidebars give additional information and fun facts about the food featured in each poem. Lopez’s vibrant and playful illustrations give a little extra Latin flavor to each poem.

Pumpkin
Under round luna,
scattered tumblings down the rows,
autumn’s orange face.

Presentation of Poem: Display this poem in a prominent location within the school during the month of October.

Extended Activity: Create a school wide Jack-o-Lantern design activity. Send copies of this poem to each teacher and announce a competition. Each classroom will work together to decorate a pumpkin to represent one of the class’s favorite books. As the pumpkins come into the library, display each book next to its pumpkin. The winning class can celebrate with a pumpkin pie party!