children's book illustration

in honor of teachers

~ jama ~ 34 Comments

“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” ~ Japanese proverb

Hooray for September and a brand new school year!

As a grade school student, I loved having new clothes, fresh school supplies, putting covers on assigned textbooks, making sure my quarter for lunch was safely stashed in my coin purse. I could hardly wait to open my spiral notebook and write on a clean page with a freshly-sharpened No. 2 pencil.

Most of all, I looked forward to meeting my new teacher.

Reading The Teachers I Loved Best by Taylor Mali and Erica Root (Doubleday BFYR, 2023) brought to mind my own favorites, making me appreciate them even more.

In his uplifting rhyming ode, Mali celebrates the extra-special, dedicated educators (classroom teachers, principals, librarians) who leave a lasting impression on all of us. “A great teacher is anyone who makes you work hard — harder than you ever thought you could — who makes you want to be better than just . . . plain . . . good.”

He goes on to laud their willingness to go above and beyond to bring out the best in their students, whether coaching from the sidelines to instill confidence, gently pushing to keep them on track, or being demanding “with the goal of commanding understanding.” The teachers he truly loved most were the ones who challenged and inspired him to give his all every single day.

He mentions his science teacher, who had the class dramatize the way the solar system worked, an art teacher he madly loved who dressed in “white paint-splattered smocks all of the time,” and every music teacher he ever had who encouraged him despite his bad, off-key singing voice.

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[yummy review] Fridays are for Churros by Jenny Alvarado

~ jama ~ 6 Comments

Hungry? Can you smell the heavenly aroma of fried sweet dough dipped in cinnamon sugar? Now that you’re here, please help yourself to some warm apple-filled churros — dip yours in chocolate if you wish, and enjoy!

These crisp-on-the-outside, airy-light-on-the-inside snacks are featured in the delectable new picture book, Fridays are for Churros by Jenny Alvarado (Holiday House, 2025). Celebrating food, family, and community, this fun story warms the heart, showing how good neighbors can help renew cherished traditions and strangers can become friends.

We first learn that Emi and her Papi make churros for their entire family every Friday. Emi gathers ingredients while Papi pours oil into the pot. Together, they make the dough and fill the pastry bag. Then with a Plop, Fizz, and Sprinkle, the churros are ready, its sweet scent swirling throughout the house as the familia arrive. How they chatter and laugh! Emi loves this feeling of ‘home.’

But then Emi and Papi must move to a big city for Papi’s new job. Such a busy place full of people, but no familiar faces, and on Fridays, no churros. Papi is usually too busy working.

One day as they arrive at their apartment, Emi and Papi see and then greet their new neighbor Señora Luisa. A sweet scent swoops out from her open door, reminding Emi of the caramel she and Papi used to dip their churros in. This gives Emi an idea. She would make the churros herself!

After checking the recipe, Emi realizes she doesn’t have enough flour and sugar, and can’t find the piping tip. Could she borrow these things from Señora Luisa? Her neighbor is happy to help; she has farina but no sugar or piping tip. She suggests Emi ask Tomas in 212.

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[mouthwatering review] The Traveling Taco by Mia Wenjen and Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong

~ jama ~ 9 Comments

What’s on the menu today?

Hmmm . . . let’s see. I’ll start with a plate of refreshing ceviche, followed by spicy jerk chicken — and then for dessert, rice pudding. Sound good?

In Mia Wenjen’s delectable picture book The Traveling Taco: The Amazing & Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods (Red Comet Press, 2025), hungry readers are invited to nibble from a scrumptious smorgasbord of twelve different dishes, everything from pizza and pasta to cheesecake and churros.

Whimsically illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong, the history of each of these popular foods is served up in a double page spread with an introductory rhyme + appetizing info bites answering four basic questions:

  • What is it?
  • Where does it come from?
  • How did it change?
  • Did you know?

Learning about food origin and evolution is fascinating as we travel across the globe and back through time. Do French Fries come from France or Belgium? Did you know people all over the world eat more than 5 billion pizzas every year, or that cheesecake can be traced back to Ancient Greece and the first Olympic Games?

The feast begins with the tastebud tempting Al Pastor Taco; we learn that it actually traveled to Puebla, Mexico in the 1930s via Lebanese immigrants who “introduced shawarma, a cone of grilled meat, usually made with lamb.”

Heaped in a tortilla, meat flavored with spice, an al pastor taco is sure to entice!

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[tasty review] Miso Magic by Moni Ritchie Hadley and Mizuho Fujisawa

~ jama ~ 6 Comments

What kind of food do you most like to eat when dining out? For me, it’s Japanese. Maybe it’s because I like fish and dishes that aren’t smothered in rich, heavy sauces. Perhaps it’s the artful plating of fresh, healthy ingredients that showcase their colors and textures (we eat first with our eyes). Or what about those lacquered bento boxes — just-right portions nestled in cute little compartments — so neat and organized! Moreover, after a Japanese meal I feel satisfied but not stuffed, and more often than not, the overall experience is calm and relaxing.

A bowl of warm, restorative miso soup is the perfect prelude to a delicious Japanese meal, priming the palate for the goodness to come. I enjoy nibbling on the little cubes of tofu and wakame strips while stirring the broth with my chopsticks, then savoring each sip (no matter the restaurant, it’s usually just the right temperature too!). Ahhhh . . . so good!

Much as I love Japanese food, I actually didn’t know how miso was made until I read Miso Magic by Moni Ritchie Hadley and Mizuho Fujisawa (Albert Whitman, 2024), a tender father-daughter story about family traditions and cultural heritage flavored with a gentle lesson in patience.

As the story opens, young Chiyoko is anxious to build a snowman with Papa to celebrate the first snowfall of the year, but Papa says it’s time for her to learn the family business of miso making. They head for the misogura (work barn), where she learns how to clean the tubs for making kōji, an edible mold that’s the secret to miso’s umami flavor.

Despite Papa’s enthusiasm, Chiyoko remains unimpressed with the prospect of tasting miso made with her own hands, and watches passively while Papa pours rice into a big tub of water. While the rice cooks, they shell soybeans, and once it’s done, Papa spreads the rice on a large tray to release the steam.

Since it reminds Chiyoko of fresh, white snow, she whacks at the rice to break up the chunks and to smash “snowmen.” Papa tells her not to play with the food: “We handle the rice with respect.” He sends her outside for a time out.

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[chat + recipe + giveaway] Lee Wardlaw on My Book of Firsts

~ jama ~ 33 Comments

Today we’re excited to chat with award-winning author, poet and cat-wrangler Lee Wardlaw about My Book of Firsts: Poems Celebrating a Baby’s Milestones (Red Comet Press, 2025), illustrated by Bruno Brogna.

Though this is her first poetry collection, it’s not the first time Lee has visited us. She was one of our Potluck Poets back in 2012, the same year she won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku (Henry Holt, 2011). We loved her purrfect “Catku” and the recipe she shared for Kitty Litter Cake. Me-wow!

Because My Book of Firsts is written from a baby’s perspective, the poems are that much more endearing. This emotive hug of a book is a joy to read aloud with its playful, inventive rhymes, lively cadences, and rich vocabulary. Each precious milestone from baby’s first year is cause for wonder and celebration, whether a First Day, First Friend, First Outing, First Word or those magical First Steps — and Brogna’s adorable animal families add just the right touch of charm and tenderness.

With its padded cover and allotted pages for recording your own baby’s milestones, this delightful book is an appealing keepsake for new parents, making it the perfect baby shower or birthday gift that families will be proud to share.

We thank Lee for telling us more about her literary bundle of joy with wonderful personal photos and a yummy recipe. Enjoy!

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