Pat Mora

"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 López's colorful acrylic on wood-panel illustrations. Artful compositions and brilliant complementary colors bear out the book's multicultural themes. The art conveys an infectious sense of fun, as smiling suns and moons beam down upon happy children and animals, along with a trumpet-wielding peanut-butter sandwich and a dancing pineapple. Teachers will find this a welcome addition to their social-studies units, but it should also win a broad general audience for its inventive, fun-filled approach to an ever-popular topic: food."— School Library Journal

"If you love food, this book will appeal to you … These delightful pictures and delicious text meld together for an enticing word banquet. Mora has captured just the right combination of fun, flavor, and information. This is sure to be a hit with almost every reader. The curriculum connections are many, food, haiku, and geography. Teachers and media specialists will love having this book in their collections."— Library Media Connections

"Veteran poet Mora celebrates fourteen foods, alphabetically progressing from blueberries to vanilla, native to this hemisphere. Each foodstuff receives a haiku of tribute counterpointed by a sidebar of informative text; aside from prickly pear, they're all likely to be at least conceptually familiar noshes to most kids, but their histories and industrial uses may hold a few surprises. The haiku seems a strange form for an American-centered collection, but Mora works the vivid imagery in lyrics that are pretty lip-smacking in their own sonorous right (the tomato 'squirts seedy, juicy splatter'), making them tasty candidates for reading aloud. The intensity of López's acrylic illustration … the tactile element of the wood surface of the art and the crisp edges of the illustrative elements help balance the boldness of the hues and result in a pleasing culinary vision. While curriculum connections are plentiful, some kids will just enjoy nibbling their way through the collection, snack in hand to quell the inevitable pangs of appetite."— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A combination of both haiku and informational text, this lavishly illustrate picture book celebrates foods native to countries all throughout the Americas. Children of all ages will devour Mora's snappy verses … López' vibrant illustrations provide a visual feast packed with enough magical realism and succulent foods that readers will beg for second helpings."— REFORMA Newsletter

"From acclaimed Latina poet and author Pat Mora comes a delightful collection of haiku focused on some of the most familiar (and a few unfamiliar) foods that are native to the Americas … With joyous illustrations that practically jump off the page, artist Rafael López captures the essence of each haiku and brings these delicious poems to life."— Le Bloga

"Chiles, papayas and prickly pears praised in Haiku form. … Pat Mora, creator of Dia de los Niños/Dia de los Libros, pays tribute to the diversity she embraces and celebrates through her work. Rafael López's … scrumptious mural-like paintings hold meanings beyond the words themselves. A mouth-watering treat of a book that will satisfy and inform."— Paper Tigers

"Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! was one of my favorite children’s poetry books of 2007. I think it’s a terrific combination of haiku about edible plants native to the Americas, factual information about these foods, and vibrant artwork." Read more, and find curriculum connections — Elaine Magliaro Wild Rose Reader

"This collection of haiku introduces 14 foods from the Americas. López's colorful double-page spreads, rendered in acrylic on wood panels, add to the imaginative presentation of such gastronomic favorites as chocolate, corn, prickly pear, pumpkin, and more. Each haiku is also accompanied by an informative paragraph about the food, including its history and probable origin."— Book Links, January 2009 article about recent recommended books about Latinos

"In this scrumptious collection of haiku poems, Pat Mora celebrates 14 foods that are native to the Americas. Some of the foods that are highlighted include vanilla, blueberries, pecans, papayas, chile peppers, and chocolate. One of my favorite poems is about chocolate and it reads, 'Fudge, cake, pie, cookies./ Brown magic melts on your tongue./ Happy, your eyes dance.' Accompanying each poem is a paragraph that provides information about the origin of the food along with other interesting facts. The illustrations depict the delight of people as they enjoy the foods that are mentioned."— Reading Matters, Winter 2008 article by Jonda McNair