Picture Book Round Up: Cora Cooks Pancit, Thoughtfull, Rice From Heaven, My Breakfast With Jesus

Four picture books encourage young listeners to notice the people around them, to serve with kindness, and to celebrate the diversity of God’s church. Some titles border on books-with-a-message, but all are worth looking into. Look for them at your local library (they were all at mine, even the overtly Christian titles). I learned about each of these from Wild Things and Castles in the Sky!

Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore and illustrated by Kristi Valiant. Lee & Low, 2014. 32 pages.

Reading Level: Picture books, all ages

Recommended For: Ages 0-8, especially with their families

Cora is frustrated that she only gets to do the little kid chores in the kitchen like licking the spoons. Her older siblings get to help Mama with the real kitchen jobs, the grown-up jobs like shredding chicken or chopping vegetables. Cora wants to be a real chef like her mom! But one day, when all the older siblings are gone, Cora’s mother asks her what she would like to help make. Cora gets to make pancit, a Filipino dish her family loves, and she gets to do the grown-up jobs, too, including shredding chicken! While they work together, Mama tells Cora of Lolo, her grandfather. Soon, the entire family gathers for dinner. Will the family like the pancit Cora made? A sweet story with wonderful illustrations, this is a good one for families to enjoy together. Highly recommended. And don’t miss the recipe at the end!

• Worldview/moral value: 4.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Thoughtfull: Discovering the Unique Gifts in Each of Us by Dorena Williamson and illustrated by Robert Dunn. B&H Kids, 2018. 32 pages.

Reading Level: Picture books, all ages

Recommended for: especially children in school, Sunday school, or other group settings

When Ahanu Robinson wins the Thoughtful award at school, Joshua is proud of his friend and eager to congratulate him. He can think of no better candidate; Ahanu is a good friend to everyone he meets. But Joshua is discouraged to hear some other kids making fun of Ahanu on the bus. He tells his dad about it, and his dad encourages Joshua not only to stand up for his friend but to think of Ahanu’s unique gifts. Later, when he confronts the bullies, he’s able to offer some great specifics that help the bullies re-think their first assumptions. The catch? Ahanu has Down’s Syndrome, a fact that isn’t obvious until several pages into the book. Sweet multicultural illustrations and a parent connection at the end with discussion questions make this book a good choice for a Christian classroom (school or Sunday school). Families will also enjoy it, but it’s very much a book-that-teaches.

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Rice From Heaven: the Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans by Tina Cho and illustrated by Keum Jin Song. little bee books, 2018. 40 pages

Reading level: Picture books, ages 4-10

Recommended for: ages 4-10

Based on a real mission work, volunteers from a local church (many of whom are refugees from North Korea themselves) fill balloons with rice to send across the border between South and North Korea. They know the people, particularly the children, are literally starving to death just a few miles away. No one knows if the rice balloons actually find their way to the people who most desperately need food, but the volunteers work diligently anyway. Colorful illustrations are very stylized, and the rainy night looks strangely vibrant. But the story is solid and families will enjoy reading about such a practical missions effort. Back matter includes information on the original event as well as more information about Korea.

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/library value: 3.75

My Breakfast with Jesus: Worshiping God Around the World by Tina Cho and illustrated by Guy Wolek. Harvest House, 2020. 32 pages.

Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-10

Recommended for: Especially for Sunday school

In this interesting picture book, the author describes children around the world beginning their day with Jesus (and what they might eat in their various locations and cultures). Children and parents pray, share a devotional, or even give food to the needy. Some children eat a big hot breakfast, some grab simple breakfasts on the go, and some eat soup! The different traditional breakfasts are fun to read about, but the art is a little cartoony for my tastes. Still this would make a great Sunday school read aloud, particularly when/if your church holds a missions conference or you are focusing on missions during Sunday school.

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/literary value: 3

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