Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, illustrated by Kristi Valiant,
Cora Cooks Pancit
Shen’s Books, 2009.

Ages 4-8

Four-year-old Cora loves the kitchen and all the smells of Mama cooking her favorite Filipino dishes, but when it comes time to help, her four older siblings get all the good jobs.  Cora is stuck with kid jobs like drawing pictures in flour or licking spoons.  Then one afternoon, Cora’s brother and sisters all wander out of the house to do various big-kid things, and Cora finds herself alone in the kitchen with Mama.

“What would you like to make today?” she asks Cora.

Thrilled at the opportunity to decide, Cora’s head is filled with visions of dancing lumpia and adobo chicken legs before her mind settles on a steaming bowl of pancit, a hearty chicken stew with thick noodles and plenty of vegetables (including bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms), flavored with ginger and soy sauce.

Wearing Mama’s apron and hearing stories about Lolo, her grandfather who cooked for Filipino farmworkers in California’s strawberry fields, Cora passes a milestone as rich in family heritage and cultural tradition as it is in the symbolism of growing up. 

Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore adds another sensitive book about the immigrant experience for children to her growing catalog that includes Children of the San Joaquin Valley and Stone Soup: A Hmong Girl’s Journey to the United States.  After a few generations, it is clear that Cora’s Filipino-American family is right at home in the United States and proudly maintaining cultural heritage as part of their identity.

Kristi Valiant’s warm and colorful illustrations invite readers into Cora’s clean and welcoming suburban home to share the sunny afternoon with Cora and her mother.  The walls are brightly painted and adorned with paintings of tropical fruit.  Brightly colored ceramics line cabinet shelves.  The sun coming through the windows evokes a peaceful feeling, and personality is beautifully expressed in the clothing and gestures of the characters.

Cora Cooks Pancit is a lovely story about home, family, food, culture, growing up, and how all those things fit together.  A glossary of terms and, of course, Lolo’s pancit recipe are included at the end of the book, making culture come alive in the kitchen while empowering kids to participate.

Abigail Sawyer
May 2009