Poetry Friday - Tuning Up

            Carol Wilcox at Carol's Corner hosts Poetry Friday today with a beautiful poem about daffodils. I just changed my blog picture for spring, imagine that Carol will like it!  Thanks for hosting, Carol. 

             It is an exciting prelude, like that time before a concert when one hears the orchestra tuning up, sometimes called a "Tuning A" when they get in line with the oboe A and others follow. Later, mixed, one can call it a cacophony, sets the heart racing, doesn't it? I am calling to mind that it is nearly April, poetry month when some make poetry goals and write every day, Irene Latham's Progressive Poem calls for 30 poets to create together, Jama Rattigan collects everyone's goals to share, some tag along and write to the goals of others. 
          Extra: Tabatha Yeatts shares a link to poems teachers and librarians can print for poetry month, titled "Poetry in The Halls". I'm grateful to be one of the poets!

             I have fussed with my goal in recent weeks, settling on a book of ideas that I used long ago in the classroom. I haven't used it in a while, think it will be good to return to the words for a personal approach. There are introductions to various ideas along with trying forms, too. Here's my visual, the book's cover, one I'll use starting Monday!

            A group of us have been writing poems for Laura Shovan's late birthday celebration this month in a closed FB group, this year each contributing food picture prompts. Some days I dash off a poem that is not particularly heartfelt, and I can tell, but time pushes me to "be done". Other days, I ponder and mess with the words more, finally getting to a nugget of what feels good. I'm sharing a couple of poems written that I'm rather fond of.

prompt - cookies Molly Hogan

Learning - Not Just for Students

In my first year of teaching,

first grade, thirty plus kids,

run-down neighborhood,

my colleague and I 

and students

held a Christmas pageant.

(This was a long time ago

when schools did this.)

I baked sugar cookies

every day for a week.

With my colleague,

hundreds of cookies

piled up for the big night.

I thought I’d have leftovers

enough to share with friends.

When I stood at the refreshment table,

chatting with the parents,

praising the kids,

I saw more than one

wrap cookies to put into handbags.

It’s when I began bringing snacks

to share every day in class.

It’s when I noticed one boy

wore baby shoes to class.

It’s when I realized that teaching

meant more than reading and writing,

would cost me more than money.

Cookies only solve some of the problems.

Linda Baie ©

Non-Fiction Picture Books Teach With Beauty & Style

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!

           This book is a triple excitement for me. I loved Melissa Stewart's Feathers: Not Just for Flying, certainly her other books, too, and when I read that she was doing a similar book about seashells. I made sure to remember it was coming. Then, as I was getting ready to find it, either at my favorite Indie or at the library, I received a copy from Charlesbridge, a book dream realized. Thank you, Charlesbridge. Finally, when reading the illustrator's note, Sarah S. Brannen shared that she spent time drawing for this book on Captiva Island. My family and I have spent time there nearly every summer for a long time. I was thrilled and I recognize many of the shells in this book that we see there and collect. The book is a treasure that will travel with us this summer, will help us learn more than we have before.
         All along the way, Sarah's realistic and soft watercolor illustrations take children with their sketchbooks learning at the beach as Melissa writes about the kinds of shells and the jobs they do. She makes a statement about a particular kind of shell, then explains further in a brief paragraph. Sarah adds to the description with a small visual of a sketchbook page, (as if the kids have drawn it). Pages vary; some are underwater showing the creatures, some are on the beach with the kids, and others mix it up with all three. But they all show and teach in realistic ways. While it is sometimes challenging to imagine that live creatures live in these interesting and variously-shaped shells, Melissa tells what they do, why they need to, where they go for safety (not only in the shell), and how their attributes help the mollusks survive. 

          For example, Melissa writes: "Seashells can flit and flutter like a butterfly. . ." and explains that a scallop spends much time lying on the ocean floor, but can clap its valves together (in, out, in, out) to propel itself to safety. She adds more information and Sarah illustrates the underwater scene of scallops while the sketchbook demonstrates the propelling. Above is a glimpse of one of the final double-page spreads as the words share about the strength of sea shells, which "protect like a fortress".  Perhaps the children are off to show others their sketches and what they've discovered?

         Inside covers show the geography of the shells, habitats all over the world.

         

And the back cover continues the beauty of the cover.

          Simple explanations with clear illustrations make this a terrific book for learning and for yearning, to go to the beach! Thanks, Melissa Stewart and Sarah Brannen for your marvelous new book.

Monday Reading - New Books to Love

Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who post their favorites. 

        Thanks to Penny Candy Books for the following two advanced copies, out April 2nd!

          For someone who's feeling low, for others who want a lift and inspiration to write, this book is all of that! Shira Erlichman creates poetry for someone looking for a lift up, a twosome, a friendship! "Sweetheart, sometimes/when I'm feeling blue/I put my ear to the wind/and listen for you." begins the quest. In my eyes, the simple doodles entertain, show emotion, and make one smile as Shira writes the joyful words she wants us readers to see. If you noticed the compound words I used earlier, I was trying to introduce you to this clever text that underlies the message, make a friendship. One of my favorite poems is "Life's no cakewalk. It's Got its flaws./But I'll bring the milkshake/if you bring the straws." There is a special Afterword from Shira and a page to create one's own compound words. What a delightful book!

       Like other boys, Henry has a great imagination. He walks with crutches, "click-click-click" that are decorated with stickers, make him feel like a heron. Nate Christopherson & Tara Sweeney illustrate his words with their own marvelous artistic inventions. We see Henry coming down the stairs, a heron leading the way! At school, he ends up not so happy. A classmate calls him a robot and even his friend, Joel, says he walks like a chicken. He escapes into the bathroom and, sad to write, takes a fall, admits his legs feel as if he could be a robot. Joel comes in and helps him up and they spend the time together after school. Colors help tell this tale, again with imagination. Black and white seem as if Henry is invisible; a heron, robot, and chicken tag along. Joel gives Henry his toy dinosaur, whom Henry names Audrey, a part of their play and later, Henry in the bath, tells stories to her, “Not about a heron or a robot or a chicken. About me—Henry the boy.” Henry's words and the background activities show he is more than his disability, he is A Boy!

       I celebrate books that introduce all kinds of kids with the universal "want" and "need', to play, to have friends. This is a great addition to picture books of welcome to them all, just like "Henry, the Boy".

       One book from my #MustReadin2019 list, can't believe I waited so long. Joy McCullough tells of the early life of Renaissance artist Artemesia Gentileschi. Through her verse, Artemesia's voice echoes other girls' voices through the years until today. We see her struggle to be recognized for her skill and talent as a painter, even though she is "only" a young woman. Her mother died when she was twelve, and she has only two choices: life as a nun in a convent or a life grinding pigment for her father's paint. There is the weaving in of inspiration and ghostly support of two women whose stories she knew from her mother, women who acted even when in grave danger. After Artemesia's rape, she is faced with another terrible choice: a life of silence or a life of truth, no matter the cost. It's both heartbreaking and breathtaking, and for a story that's over 400 years old, sadly fits in 2019, too. 

Poetry Friday - A Little Time

            Rebecca Herzog at Sloth Reads hosts Poetry Friday today, with a call to celebrating National Goof Off Day! Because of Rebecca's blog title, it feels fitting that she would both know about and make a call for, well, inaction on today's Poetry Friday. No offense intended to sloths, really. I know they act, albeit.very.slowly. I also know that 'goofing off' doesn't always mean slowing down, but to me, this time, it did. Thanks for hosting, Rebecca!

What Can Be

This morning hour, while goofing off,

I strolled throughout my yard,

poking here and looking down

to find the spring green all around.

Lily blades reached for the sun, 

alas, their green, the only one,

but then a tiny ant crawled by

another followed, I said “hi”

I pulled leaf litter off a bed,

with a closer look, saw one thing red,

felt a flutter, looked around –

a ladybug, they’re back in town!

It isn’t often that I take more 

than a casual glance this time of year.

Today I’ve learned to slow and go.

I’m glad goof-offing day is here.

Linda Baie ©

Non-Fiction Picture Books - Women's History

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!

         One of my wishes for all children growing up is that they can be supported in their passions. These two books I'm sharing today tell the story of two disparate women who were supported, praised, allowed to take different paths in their learning because of what they loved! 

       For young readers who do not know of Gwendolyn Brooks, who do not know she was the first black writer who won the Pulitzer Prize, who do not know how her passion for words guided her from a very early age, this is a marvelous introduction to her. In an array of pink to brown tones created by Xia Gordon, Alice Faye Duncan (writer of Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop) writes her own free verse poetry about Gwendolyn and includes some of Gwendolyn's poems, too. Those poems are numbered by Roman numerals, I through X. In school, this poet was already watching and listening, as writers do, and wrote her first poem at age seven, in 1924. Each part begins with the title challenge to "sing a song for Gwendolyn Brooks", as important parts of her life are told. Kids play, "They boast and bully./They 'signify'", but she stands alone. She lives on Chicago's South Side, can be found sitting on the stoop of their building, always watching. The story tells how much her parents support her, let her out of chores so she can write. Her mother takes her hand to march off to school to confront the teacher who has accused her of plagiarism. She sits right down and writes a terrific, most apt, poem titled "Forgive and Forget". From research, Gordon shows how much Gwendolyn cares about the words, the "right" words as draft after draft is written/re-written. She joins a group of black writers who study the great poets like with a poetry teachers. She falls in love with the right man who also supports her work, and they rent two rooms where she continues to write. They have two children; Gwen has already published books, is very popular, and is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in between the births of those children. She shines, as her parents have long known! And this biography does, too, a loving introduction to this famous poet.

       There is an author's note, a timeline, suggested readings and a bibliography in the back matter. Gwendolyn Brooks was the 29th poet laureate of the Library of Congress, continued to earn award honors until her death in 2000. You may know her most anthologized poem, "We Real Cool".

Monday Reading - Hurrah for New Books!

Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who post their favorites. 

          I'm grateful to Candlewick Press for these first two books!

         In Jo Knowles' new story, the pressure before eighth grade fills up the main character Rachel's life. Starting with her thirteenth birthday and the first day of summer, she's ready for all the wonderful things summer can bring, like being with her best friend since kindergarten, Micah. As the days go by, each one brings new questions, both personal and in her family. She's excited about a new job caring for the farm animals for neighbors who've built a fancy house on the hill and field next door, but it is not so easy since the chickens peck and the pig charges. She notices that there is not always a full refrigerator anymore and her parents seem to be arguing a lot, over the bills. Then, Micah, whom she does love but only as a friend, seems to want more. And she wants to feel that way, but cannot make herself feel that way about any boy. Jo Knowles tells this story through Rachel's eyes, beautifully showing that confusion over change that young adolescents try hard to figure out, and often alone. Luckily for Rachel, Micah stands by her no matter the conflict. I imagine readers will connect with this story and whether the hard things are the same or are different, they will meet someone they recognize.

           Rachel's family have named the place where they live as Bittersweet Farm, after the bittersweet that grows in one place there. Her story lives in that name, both bitter and sweet.

       This board book includes the colors you see above, page by page cells are added accompanied by poetic text, showing simply and beautifully how our world of light works, including "you". I've taken one picture of the first page, not as good as what one really sees, but you can understand the idea. My favorite line: "It sips the sea to make the rain."   This is a book you must see and savor.

       When I was a lit coach, I took a suitcase of musical things like different clackers and horns, a small drum, and so on to liven up our poetry writing. Oh, how I wish I had had this new poetry book to Boom! Bellow! Bleat! with the kids. It's a new delight by Georgia Heard with "out loud" collaged illustrations by Aaron DeWitt. It can be read, as the cover says, by two or more voices, and I found it wonderful to read with my youngest granddaughter, an emerging reader. Serendipitously, we had just visited our zoo and came home to read this new book together. It opens with a fun page of "Animal Songs" including Alligators that Hiss, all the way to Humans, who Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, etc. It also includes frogs who don't say "Ribbit!", instead, they quonk, waaa, jug-a-rum, beeeee, peep, twaang, errrrgh, growl, trill, and yeeeeeoooow. There was much to learn about frogs (and toads) just from this page. Imogene loves insects and her favorite page is the honeybees, who bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz as they perform all their other tasks.
         In addition to the poetic text, Georgia has included small bits of information for some of the animals. And added at the back is expanded information in a "Nature's Notes" section.
        Each page's text are in blue, red and sometimes black (for that third voice). It was great fun to read aloud. For groups, a page titled "Forest Orchestra" gives instruction and a script for fourteen parts to perform together. She includes tips like "Keep in mind that animals have adapted different sound tones so when singing together they don't drown each other out." From large to small, land to ocean, animals Boom! Bellow! Bleat and more. One only needs to listen!

Poetry Friday - Sharing An Older Anthology

             Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe hosting Poetry Friday today, with a call to action for "changing our actions" to combat climate change, to call attention to our administrations to act responsibly, to DO SOMETHING!  Thanks, Heidi!

       I don't usually write of our weather, but Wednesday turned out quite a different day, evidence that climate change is happening. We set a record!        
        For me in Colorado, daylight savings time ushered in a strange welcome to this 'almost' springtime. We do have big snows sometime, but this was different.
        On Tuesday I spent a lot of time at a park, then returned with my granddaughter Ingrid to walk and admire geese on the pond, climb trees, then get ice cream. It was about 60 degrees. On Wednesday, it started raining in the night, began snowing about 9 am, and then the blizzard hit. The city was rather shut down, am sorry that (I imagine) that groceries and coffee shops may have stayed open, but every school, every museum, etc. closed. It was called a #bombcyclone and snowed all day till dark. I did go out to shake the trees as much as I could, but realized this was not fluff, but blown-in ice balls. Only some fell. Many lost their power. I am fortunate because all the power lines around are underground. I was okay, did not need to go anywhere, and hope everyone, even if sliding off the road, ended up okay.
           Now, today, seems as if it didn't happen, though I know some still do not have power back, and some endured a miserable time stuck on the side of some highways, or ended up stuck at the airport. The sun was out, much has melted. 

       I'm still celebrating women, and wanted to tell about an older anthology I picked up long ago. I do not remember where, but it is lovely. Published in London first in 1990, then in 1991 in the US. The anthologists, Susanna Styles and Morag Styles, write that they began collecting years before, realized that the book would not only be for young people of 9-13, but for all ages. And it is a gem, filled with poems by women and girls of many cultures. 
          You will recognize the poet names of Eve Merriam ("On the pad of my thumb"), Nikki Giovanni ("they always said "what a pretty little girl you are"), Charlotte Zolotow ("It is only I/who have changed.", Karla Kuskin ("And the hollow of night/Fills up with dreams:"), Aileen Fisher ("The day is warm/and a breeze is blowing, the sky is blue/and its eye is glowing"), Gwendolyn Brooks ("Hello, little sister,/Coming through the rim of the world.", Jane Yolen (Sleep, little wriggler,"), Valerie Worth (Hollyhocks stand in clumps/By the doors of old cottages.) and Maya Angelou ("When you see me sitting quietly/Like a sack left on the shelf,/Don't think I need your chattering./I'm listening to myself.". 
         Like that taste? There is more! Also included are poems by children and traditional chants and rhymes from North America, Ireland, Japan and Africa. 

        The book divides into eight sections, from Here I Am!, girls and women writing about themselves, through Telling Tales which includes songs, ballads and stories to the ending A New Day Dawning, hopes for the future. If you can find it, I hope you enjoy it all. Here is a taste from Here I Am!. 

A few powerful words for this time in girls' and women's lives.

I May, I Might, I Must

If you will tell me why the fen

appears impassable, I then

will tell you why I think that I

can get across it if I try.

Marianne Moore

Non-Fiction Picture Books - To the Moon, To The Ocean

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!

               Thanks to Charlesbridge for these books, out just one week ago!

      Children are going to read this as history and I'm reading it as memory. It's a celebration by Suzanne Slade of the Apollo flights that begins where her Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon ends. A most exciting time happened in the United States, beginning in 1962 when President John Kennedy said in his speech, "We choose to go to the moon." And we would go, seven years later! Sadly, he did not get to see his vision take place, but we remember his inspiration! You can see from the title that this is the story of those twelve astronauts who walked on the moon! Slade also includes those whose journeys did not make it, twenty-one in all.

      Page by double-page spread illustrations by Alan Marks show the grandeur and holding-your-breath excitement from that first step onto our only moon. Neil Armstrong's name will live as the first man on the moon, Alan Shephard as the first golfer in space (Did you know?), and Charlie Duke leaves behind a photo of his family. Each flight extended the stay on the moon as astronauts collected rock specimens and set up experiments, learned to navigate the Lunar Module in order to land in different places to collect more information. Here's one picture of their traveling on the Lunar Roving Vehicle, helping the astronauts conserve energy so they could reach other places faster. It is an inspiring part of history, amazing to believe that we will be celebrating the fifty year anniversary of Apollo 11 this summer. 

       Much more information is given in the afterword. Alan Bean, the fourth man on the moon, gives an intro and there is a note from the author. Added is a timeline, more about the vehicles, the missions, the art and pages with the facts about each mission. A bibliography and source notes end this wonderful keepsake book of Nasa's flights to and exploration of the moon. 

       I loved the ending pages showing children and their cat gazing up at what Suzanne Slade writes is "A quiet place where/no wind blows,/no water flows,/no life grows." 

          It's the first US edition of this page-filled, creatures-captured in gorgeous art Ocean Emporium of ocean life. From Crabs to Octopuses, Sharks to Penguins, each collection's variety is pictured and labeled with a brief paragraph about the groups. Susie Brooks introduces the book with a double-page spread explanation of the ocean's circle of life, Apex Predator sharks to plankton, shellfish to krill.  Her explanations on each page are summaries, but with them and Dawn Cooper's realistic illustrations, readers will want to discover more through further research. The book ends with a vertical double-page of creatures of the deep, "the largest habitat on Earth". Do you know the helmet Jellyfish, the harp sponge or the southern ocean giant spider? You can see them on this page but will want much more after the view. Be sure to find this terrific new ocean book for a classroom or for individuals who want to know more!

Monday - Book Favorites

Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who post their favorites. 

While weaving text and art in a way that shows the hodgepodge of that part of history to tell Bonhoeffer's story, John Hendrix has managed a story of persistence in the face of known danger, never giving up when he is sure that he and his co-conspirators must proceed. As he chronicles the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, of course, he must detail the rise of Hitler and Germany's Nazi part. Here is one quote: "Dietrich's conception of the nature of evil had changed. In the form of the Nazi ideology, evil could no longer be a theological tool. The rigid concepts of simple "right" and "wrong" had proved too simple for defeating Hitler. Those stark boxes were all too easy for Hitler to escape. Evil had totally surrounded Dietrich and the conspirators. On all sides were ethical booby traps. Yet he had come to believe he must step into one, if he was to act at all." He is a pastor who makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to free the German people from oppression during World War II.

         I spent a good deal reading this book angry at the mother. Then I realized that I had no way to empathize with her, no way to understand that some have so much heartbreak in their lives that it plays out in their choices even as a parent. But this is really about the parent Astrid's son, twelve-year-old Felix Knutsson. Underlying the story is Felix's knack for trivia. His favorite game show is Who What Where When; he even named his gerbil after the host. Felix’s mom, Astrid, is loving but cannot hold on to a job. Her "knack" appears to be words that alienate. She has a bitter tongue that will not stop. When they are evicted from their latest shabby apartment, they have to move into a van. Astrid swears him to secrecy; he can’t tell anyone about their living arrangement, not even Dylan and Winnie, his best friends at his new school. If he does, she warns him, he’ll be taken away from her and put in foster care.

        Life for these two does not improve, then Felix gets a chance to audition for a junior edition of Who What Where When, and he’s hopeful when he is accepted. The time surrounding these days are harrowing. I couldn't stop turning the pages, wishing someone would help. I felt it wasn't a twelve-year-olds' responsibility to save the family. He thought winning the cash prize could make everything okay again. But things don’t turn out the way he expects. . . .  I loved this boy, so full of what are the right things to do, sometimes helpless to change his mother, but continuing to make his own life right while caring for her, too. 
       I am grateful for what I learned: that friends (allies) make a huge difference in kids' and adults' lives, but sometimes it's even hard to accept that friendship. That adults' childhoods keep them from change for better. Turning away in defense seems easier. And when one opens up to trust, things do get better, but it's hard, so, so hard. This story about the hidden homeless is one I would recommend to middle school and up, but also to adults, especially teachers. There is a teacher that steps up to help Felix, too! 

Poetry Friday - Honoring Women

         Catherine Flynn at Reading to The Core hosts this day,  Friday, March 8th, which is International Women’s Day, hashtag and theme #BalanceforBetter. Here is the website. Catherine has asked that people help to celebrate the day by sharing poems that honor women and she is sharing her poem that honors Ellen Harding Baker, a teacher, who lived in the 19th century and, as a teacher, created an extraordinary quilt that depicts the solar system. Be sure to visit to see and read Catherine's poem about Baker.

         Oh my, so many choices! I've browsed my books and have more than one I could share. I've been writing poems each day with a group to celebrate Laura Shovan's birthday. The theme this month is "food" with members posting a picture of their choosing on the date each chose. Many of my words lean to personal memories. After all, food is one of those personal things that cling, isn't it? From early childhood to grown, considering my and all the other poets' poems, most are food connections, memories, experiences. 
         This past Wednesday, one of our group posted this: "These are the ingredients for a quick vegetarian dish that my family loves. Cook 8 oz of pasta, add salsa, tomatoes, drained black beans, and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Make a double batch if you like leftovers for lunch. Alternate prompts: pasta, beans, cheddar cheese, or tomatoes."

          I value my friends, some even online from afar, some here in my neighborhood, but being together, eating what we create together, is special like a hug that lasts and lasts.

Non-Fiction Books Take Us Traveling

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!

      It's a travel book, no, it's a cookbook, it's a poetry book. Well, it's actually all those things "melted" into one lovely book that makes mouths water and educates all at the same time. Breakfast starts everyone's day and Alice McGinty has written (cooked up?) a multi-cultural feast of what children eat in the morning all over the world. Ending with the USA and, maybe, pancakes but not always, she journeys around the world starting with Australia and the much-loved there, not so much here, vegemite spread on toast. From China, a dish I'm not sure I knew the name of, Ci fan tuan, but I've had at restaurants comes big balls of sticky rice loaded with pork and pickled vegetables.  Yum! Then, we're traveling on to The Netherlands to eat toast with chocolate sprinkles. While it's different in each country, children manage to have a good bit of food to get them ready for school! 
       Alice has written snappy, appetizing rhymes to introduce the food, then added a brief paragraph of the name, how to pronounce it, and what it is. "Breakfast in Jamaica/is yellow like the sun./Cornmeal porridge, thick and sweet,/Come and get it, everyone." Sometimes extra information is added, like in Japan children wear yellow caps so they can be easily seen by drivers on the streets. And she explains 'rashers' and 'bangers', and what 'soldiers' are for breakfast in the UK. 
        Tomoko Suzuki's double-page filled-to-the-brim graphic pages add to the joy of breakfast starting the day. There is food, of course, but also background geography of gardens and cities, and the people, too, eating together. Here's a glimpse from Brazil! 

         Added is a double-page map of the world that shows each dish and the location of its country of origin. It would be delicious fun to research more countries and create some of these dishes in a classroom. For older kids, to ask the question of "why?" these dishes have become native to the country would be fun, too. One year, my class visited different cultural supermarkets here, sampled some foods, bought others to cook back at school. It was a marvelous experience.
         Thanks, Alice and Tomoko for a wonderful book.