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About the Book
Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas' Sproutings
Written by Pat Mora
Illustrated by Rafael López
Smear nutty butter,
then jelly. Gooey party,
my sandwich and me.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a lunchbox staple in cafeterias far and wide, but did you know that peanuts are not actually nuts at all? They are legumes, like beans and peas. Did you know that peanuts are believed to be of South American origin and that, here in the United States, we eat six hundred million pounds of peanuts and seven hundred million pounds of peanut butter every year? And while we are at it, did you know that the starch from corn kernels is used to hold crayons and chalk together? Or that the Aztecs valued the pods of the cacao tree so much that they used them as money? Did you know that potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in outer space? Or that pumpkin was once believed to remove freckles and cure snakebite?
Peanuts, blueberries, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and more — here is a luscious collection of haiku celebrating foods native to the Americas. Brimming with imagination and fun, these poems capture the tasty essence of foods that have delighted, united and enriched our lives for centuries. Interesting tidbits about the food accompany each poem, and exuberant illustrations bring to life the delicious spirit of the haiku, making Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! an eye-popping, mouth-watering treat. Open it and dig in!
Come to any Multnomah County library beginning March 1 to sign up and get your gift copy of Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas' Sproutings. Books and materials are most appropriate for children in grades K-5.