Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! Americas' Sproutings by Pat Mora
Illustrations by Rafael Lopez
Mora, Pat. Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: Americas' Sproutings. Lee & Low Books, 2007.
ISBN: 9781584302711
Summary
Pat Mora's beautiful book of different foods is a collection of Haiku and background information about foods that are native to different parts of the Americas.
Analysis
The cultural value of this book is astounding. The Americas hold such a plethora of cultures and lifestyles, and one thing they all have in common is their appreciation for food. Each page depicts images of children enjoying the foods around them, paired with a haiku that describes both the food and the experience of enjoying said food. The pages also offer a brief historical context of how/where the food is grown. Foods from a variety of cultures are shown for their value, almost as if food is the universal language that brings everyone together.
The literary value of this book is just as amazing as its cultural one. The imagery within the Haiku can be understood by children of all ages. Mora's bilingual approach to the haiku makes readers hold it in high regard and the vivid imagery is parallel to the vivacious images on the page.
Review Excerpt:
SLJ-
"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."
Connection:
Here is a short clip of Pat Mora reading from her book about the food "tomatoes."
I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
Sánchez Erika L. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2017.
ISBN: 9781524700485
Summary:
In the heart of Chicago, 15-year-old Julia Reyes is living in the aftermath of the death of her "Perfect Mexican Daughter" sister, Olga. As Julia examines Olga's perfectly passive life, she discovers there may have been more to the 'simple' lifestyle of her homebody, older sister. As a student, Julia wants to do her best to get into a college away from her 'oppressive family'-and her friends help her stay afloat. Despite her mother not loving her best friend, Lorena, the two explore a lot of firsts, the life of Olga, and what it means to come of age as a Latina in Chicago.
Analysis:
This book depicts drug fights, sex, illegal immigration, and a suicide attempt in a way for younger readers to understand. Despite the leniency in strong and suggestive language, the graphic scenes aren't extremely explicit or descriptive. The strong themes and coming-of-age ideals are elaborately designed and pay homage to the LatinX community.
Culturally, it leans toward the description of rougher neighborhoods that are common in Latin literature, however the family is financially limited and also illegally immigrated to the US, so they cannot pull themselves out of a tough situation. The negative light of the neighborhood is expected with that type of socio-economic status. The ideal of a 'perfect Mexican daughter' is wonderfully explored since many descriptions of stereotyped LatinX cultures include the idea of the 'woman in submissive roles' and the main character, Julia, is determined to not fit that mold. It shows readers that they don't have to be everything they're 'expected' to be while respectfully and truthfully explaining that you can be different and still value your own culture. I feel as though many LatinX/Hispanic students would find themselves within the pages and would relate to several situations within.
Review Excerpt:
Horn Book-
"Garcia’s engaging reading adds new dimension to the book through her expressive voices...and individual accents for each character."
Connections:
Here is a wonderful book chat with the author of this novel, Erika L. Sanchez at the Chicago Humanities Festival:
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena
Illustrated by Christian Robinson
De la Pena, Matt. Milo Imagines The World. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2021.
ISBN: 9780399549083
Summary:
This story opens with Milo and his sister taking their weekend ride on a subway. Milo illustrates the world around him, imagining a life for every person he finds interesting like the whiskered man whom Milo thinks has a lot of cats, and the little boy with perfectly white shoes Milo imagines has a royal life. When Milo realizes that others may be looking at him and thinking things about him, he decides he needs to change the ideas in his head about stereotypical lifestyles and imagine the world in many different ways. The story ends with Milo giving his drawings to his mother.
Analysis:
This beautiful book thoughtfully explores ideal lifestyles in order to teach children perspective, and it explores what it means to make assumptions and understand those around you. The overall theme is carefully presented, and the slow reveal of where Milo and his sister are going comes through just in time for students to realize that Milo and the boy with perfect shoes are more similar than Milo originally thinks. The language in the book seems a bit sophisticated for the age of the child, and his self-reflection is very mature for his age as well. That aside, however, the book is a great literary glimpse into a different point of view with beautiful descriptions and many instances of imagery.
The story doesn't explore the LatinX community at first, but once Milo becomes introspective, the snippets of his lifestyle come forward in the cooking at his Auntie's house and the authentic city life. (spoiler) It also puts forward a subtle conversation about incarceration and how children deal with that. The illustrations depict several different ethnicities and shows the diversity within a city and within one culture.
Review Excerpt:
Horn Book-
"A notable aspect of this mixed-media and collage book is that two male creators of color bring to life a sensitive, observant, artistic boy of color who has a fascinating life of the mind and whose imagination not only keeps him positively engaged when being a “shook-up soda” could get the better of him, but it also projects a similar life trajectory for Milo as his creators have had."
Connection:
Here is a book discussion of the background of Milo's story with the author:
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova
Labyrinth Lost. Turtleback Books, 2017.
ISNB: 978-8445008812
Summary:
Alex is a Bruja-not just any Bruja, the most powerful one in her family in generations...and she hates it. Her family thinks her powers haven't shown yet, because Alex wants to cast a spell that rids her of her powers and hides them. In attempting to change things, she mistakenly makes her entire family disappear. This puts her in the path of the one gave her the idea to begin with, Nova. When Nova promises to help her find her family, that he's the only one who can take her to Los Lagos, Alex is forced to face truths she's not prepared for.
Analysis:
This book can be appreciated not only for having a book full of LatinX characters, but also exploring minorities within that group and giving a thoughtfully explored LGBTQ+ relationship with a bisexual love triangle. The culture within this story includes a quinceañera type celebration called "Deathday" that brings the ghosts of ancestors in to bless the bruja.
The descriptions within the story could have been elaborated on a bit more, as some of the scenes felt like they weren't paced well for the type of action within the story. Other times, the beautiful beliefs of this LatinX culture came through with wonderful clarity, and though it is a make believe realm that is explored, the concepts are pulled directly from LatinX ideals of witchcraft. These elements are well done.
Review Excerpt:
SLJ-
"Córdova's realistic world-building is the backbone of this engaging read. She spins a fantasy tale based in Latin American culture, with original mythology that rings true. Her focus on family and relationships, along with themes of loyalty, friendship, love, revenge, and being true to oneself, comes across effortlessly."
Connection:
Here is a video of the author's FAQ's about Labyrinth Lost by BookRiot: