CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

“This is the poi for our ‘ohana’s lū‘au” begins this cumulative rhyme styled on “The House That Jack Built,” in which a group of Native Hawaiians prepares for a shared meal. A note in the back matter elaborates on poi, a smooth purple paste made from ground kalo, a plant deeply entwined in Hawaiian tradition and legends. “This is the kalo to make the poi for our ‘ohana’s lū‘au.” The text paints a picture of the plant’s environment: There is “the water, clear and cold” in which the plants are submerged, located on “land that’s never been sold,” flooded by a “stream of sunlit gold.” In the earth-tone illustrations there are the humans, young and old, who cultivate and harvest the kalo; hands that pluck it from the ground; a line of people in a field filling and passing crates and baskets. Judicious use of alliteration and assonance in a rhyme that encompasses tradition, community, setting, and culture make this an absolute pleasure to read aloud. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Kenard Pak

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 3-7
Age Range: Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3) PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Community Cumulative Stories Families Food and Cooking Native Hawaiian People Patterned text/Repetition Stories in Rhyme
Diversity subject: Pacific Islander
On CCBC Booklists: Rhyme and Reason: 25 Rhyming Books  Wisconsin Social Studies Standards: Suggested Books for K-5 

Publishers: Holiday House, Neal Porter Books
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780823443260
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Loomis

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