Mora, Pat. Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: American Sproutings. ill. Rafael Lopez. Lee & Low Books, 2007. ISBN 978-1-58430-271-1 Pat Mora's book of haiku brings food to life. The food about which she has written is all indigenous to the Americas. Each two-page spread has a haiku about a particular food and a short blurb about the food including where and how it is grown, how it's eaten, and even where the name came from. This is a wonderful way to learn about the different types of foods and how they fit into the cultural "stew" that makes this hemisphere so wonderful!
When I began reading this book, I kept thinking to myself, "Why are all these poems three lines??" If I had read the cover page a little more closely, I would have realized that they were all haiku! The poems themselves are quite simple and express a lot about a food in just those 17 syllables. I have to say that I find this a brave step for Mora. Haiku is one of the most disliked forms of poetry by both children and adults. It can be frustrating and complex to read. However, Mora's haiku create a great sense of imagery that is complimented by Lopez's artwork. They are simple, clean, unique, and evoke the senses we each have in connection with certain foods. Children will want to taste the prickly pear, feel the roly-poly tomato, and taste the leafy jungle of the papaya.
To introduce this book, I would begin by asking students which food(s) they would choose as their favorite. Perhaps have them draw a picture of it and choose some words about how that food makes you feel. I would then read them my favorite haiku (see below). Afterwards, I would do a mini-lesson on haiku: 5, 7, 5 syllables, simplistic words, etc. Then I would have them write their own haiku about their favorites.
"Chocolate"
Fudge, cake, pie, cookies.
Brown magic melts on your tongue.
Happy, your eyes dance.
No comments:
Post a Comment