Multicultural Poetry

Multicultural Poetry

Bibliography

Mora, Pat, and Rafael López. 2007. Yum! mmmm! qué rico!: Americas’ sproutings. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 978-1584302711.

Summary/Analysis

This collection of 14 poems by Pat Mora focus on foods that are native to the Americas.  There is no index or table of contents found in the book.  The collection of poems are all Haikus (her first haiku book) and are consistent in both theme and quality.  Each poem features a double page spread illustration by Rafael Lopez that adds depth to the poem.  For the poem “Chocolate” the illustrations feature a chocolate castle, cake, and a girl eating a chocolate chip cookie.  Each haiku  poem focuses on a different food and is accompanied by a paragraph of expository text detailing the facts of that food.  Most information about the foods feature the Spanish words giving the reader a deeper understanding of the food and exposure to a new language.  The poems are simple and easy for younger students to understand and the topic of food is sure to engage and speak to readers of all ages.  The mood of the poems is happy and each illustration is helpful in reinforcing that feeling.  The end of the book has a page with a “Dear Reader” section.  Mora incorporates all of the foods in the poems into a “fast-clapping” rhyme.  She then discusses why she chose to write a haiku book and why she focused on food. 

Use

Vanilla

Quick! Lick white river

running down the cone cooling

your warm summer laugh.

Before introducing the poem I would focus on vanilla and read the fact box on the side of the poem with information about vanilla.  If possible I would bring a vanilla pod and have students smell and come up with as many words to describe the smell/sensation.  After reading the poem as a class I would break up students into groups and assign them different ice cream flavors (the poem “Vanilla” is about vanilla ice cream).  Each group would have to write their own haiku about their specific ice cream flavor.  A possible extension lesson for social studies could focus on the Totonac Indians of Mexico and their way of life.