LET’S POP, POP, POPCORN!
By: Cynthia Schumerth
Illustrated by: Mary Reaves Uhles
Published: March 15, 2021
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Non-Fiction
When our sons were in sports, I think I ate popcorn nearly every night. It’s a good thing I love popcorn! I grew up having popcorn on Sunday nights. Gosh, I can still remember the taste of Dad’s buttery popcorn. I still eat popcorn at least once a week as a snack and sometimes for a meal!
Schumerth’s love of popcorn is why she decided to share the joy of growing popcorn with kids. This lesson in gardening and growing your own food makes it look fun and enjoying the rewards of your labor is the best part.
It appears the whole neighborhood is getting into the fun of planting and caring for the popcorn seeds. Schumerth takes kids through the step-by-step process of planting the seeds, making sure they get both sun and water, pulling the weeds, and then watching the popcorn stalks grow until they are over our heads. Once they are ready to be harvested, the ears are picked, shucked, and dried. Then the popcorn is ready to be popped.
There is a science to popping the popcorn kernels and kids will learn the specific names of the starch and the shell. The author even chose to write this book in a rhyming scheme which is not an easy task, especially when teaching something and needing to use specific words.
The illustrations fill the page and show diverse children helping with the whole process of growing the popcorn. You can see the excitement on their faces as the corn is taller than them and the anticipation as they are waiting for it to pop.
The author even includes some final pages at the end that offer a bit more science about popcorn and why it pops. She also included a science experiment and a craft to use with popcorn. Be sure to check out your local farmer’s markets for homegrown popcorn. I love getting some from my friend’s farm. Nothing tastes better than popcorn grown with love.
This picture book is written for younger elementary-aged kids, but make this fun for the whole family by making a batch of popcorn and then doing the craft at the end of the story as a family.
Cynthia Schumerth’s favorite snack has always been popcorn, so of course, she had to write a children’s book about it. She lives in De Pere, Wisconsin. Schumerth also wrote the board book, I AM HORTON.
Mary Reaves Uhles’ numerous children’s books include A TUBA FOR CHRISTMAS and THE LITTLE KIDS’ TABLE. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Find out more at her website, HERE.
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Thank to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, Cynthia Schumerth, farm, fiction, gardening, Mary Reaves Uhles, Popcorn