Filomena Gomes, illustrated by Ashley Spires,
My Mom Loves Me More than Sushi
Second Story Press. 2006

Rating: G

This book is written as a series of vignettes: each double spread follows the pattern of "My mom loves me more than …" . Each page offers a traditional food from a different country. The text cleverly describes the food in greater detail without simply listing the ingredients while the illustrations depict mother and daughter either preparing or eating it.

The cartoon drawings are suited to the story set in today’s world. The pictures are not cluttered and present a nice balance to the text. The family pets add visual interest for the reader as they cavort in the background of each frame.

This book would lend itself well to use in the classroom as a model for writing, or for the introduction of different cultures or a unit on food. The inside bookcovers have a map of the world showing where each of the foods originate.

This book would be suitable for both school and public libraries. It could be used to support social studies and heath curricula.

Thematic Links: Food; Families; Multiculturalism; Nutrition

Linda Berezowski
Vol. 12, number 1
October 2006

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.