Cora is the youngest child in a Filipino-American family. She longs to do things her older brother and three older sisters do. One day when her older siblings are all gone, she sees her chance. This is the day she helps her mother make pancit, a chicken, vegetable, noodle dish. As Mother and Cora cook together, Mother tells stories of Lolo, Cora's grandfather, who migrated from the Philippines to California. The pancit is served for the evening meal with five children, Mother, and Father all enjoying this special dish. As Cora observes the dinnertime scene, she replaces the doubt she had about her contributions with pride in her work.

Both story and illustrations capture the frustration of being the youngest, while it celebrates a close family with a loving and understanding mother. And the story not only tells of the immigrant experience, it provides the very pleasant way of experiencing culture through oral family stories and food. A glossary reviews the Tagalog words used, and the recipe for pancit is on the final page.

LAZO GILMORE, Dorina K. Cora Cooks Pancit. illus. by Kristi Valiant. unpaged. glossary. CIP. Shen's. 2009. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-885008-35-0. LC 2008045836.

PreS-Gr 3--When Cora's Filipino family cooks together, she's always stuck doing the "kid jobs." Then one day when her older siblings are out and about, Cora gets her chance to bond with Mama in the kitchen. She even gets to choose her favorite dish, so the two of them make a large bowl of noodles, chicken, and vegetables called pancit. Clear expository prose explains how to perform kitchen tasks. For example, Mama tells Cora, "Open the package of rice noodles and put them in this bowl of water." Then she engages her daughter by asking her, "Do you know why we soak them?" These scenes effectively model how adults can introduce children to cooking. The simple, direct style also makes the book equally well suited as a read-aloud and for newly independent readers. The artwork nicely complements the text, as Valiant's warm hues of gold, red, and orange highlight the family's loving relationship. They also capture Cora's feelings through facial expressions. Wide eyes and smiles show the child's joy at cooking with her mother, while a downcast mouth and arched eyebrows illustrate her anxiety that her family won't like her pancit. Although this dish is unique to Cora's culture, children of all backgrounds will share her feelings at being allowed to help cook a meal for the first time. A solid choice for schools and public libraries, especially where family-based programming is popular.--Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY

Now, as a new parent myself, I can only hope that my little one will some day show a curiosity in the cultural dishes I prepare in our own kitchen. Luckily, his curiosity is getting a head start whenever I read him Cora Cooks Pancit.

"I can't help but think of my niece, Mira, standing on a stool and stirring macaroni and cheese, the peas and pasta spilling out of the pan, and that little girl oblivious to everything except for the happy fact that she's with her daddy and they're cooking together. I can't wait to give her this book the next time I see her, and to cook pancit with her for the first time, telling her fun stories of her Lolo and Lola in the Philippines."

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.

Q. I especially love the light pouring through the kitchen windows - did that present particular challenges?

A. The light pouring in with the shadows across the floor was one of my favorite things to paint! I wanted some warm sunshine lighting, but the whole book takes place indoors. The warm light pouring in the windows was the solution. I modeled the patio doors/windows after my own house, so I had an instant reference to make it easier to paint.

"My mother is a fabulous cook. She is 100% Italian and I think of her as a food artist because her creative juices really flow in the kitchen. I literally grew up in the kitchen doing the "kids jobs" mentioned in my book like drawing in the flour and licking the spoons and learning the "grown-up jobs" like chopping, stirring and sautéing. My girls are 3 years old and 3 months old and they are growing up in the kitchen with me too. My creative muse is food and it often inspires my writing."