YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO! Americas' Sproutings

How elegantly Mora's exploration of edibles from the Americas plays into the audiobook format! Gabriella Cavallero's narration is elegant as well. For each delicacy--whether it's blueberry, potato, or papaya, to name just a few--there is a selection of factual tidbits (easily glossed over in book format) followed by a haiku. In the audio format, one's interest is piqued by the information--700 million pounds of peanut butter consumed in the United States yearly, for example. Thus, one is primed for the poetic images to follow--"a gooey party, my sandwich and me." Cavallero's interest is evident as she shares the facts, and she uses the breadth of her vocal register to present the related haikus. Her elongated phrases, staccato words, and prolonged pauses are a pleasure. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2014]