I loved this book and quickly thought of how I want to one day incorporate it into my classroom. The repetitive language of the asking and trading of food on each floor was very structured yet fun writing technique. I love that all characters contribute to giving food to the sick little girl. The use of Spanish terms like coquis, arroz con pollo,en un dos por tres I loved this diverse use of language within the book. The background of the grandmothers Puerto Rican huge family was a detail I think many children can relate to cooking with grandparents and feasting with them. The illustrations took me into the world of the book and the mentioning of such aromas of foods gave me the experience the grandmother felt while climbing the stairs. Loved this book and would recommend for others to read. ( )

Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice reeled me in with its warm colors and descriptions. This multicultural book is a great example of realistic fiction. Students should easily be able to connect with Lucy and Mama Provi, because most of them have a family member that takes care of them when they are sick or cooks for them.

This book is a great way to bring in some cultural variety through food.
The book "Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice" tells a story about a grandmother, Mama Provi, who makes up a large batch of "Arroz con Pollo" to take to her Granddaughter.

Along the way to the top floor of the apartment, she stops at each floor where she meets someone else who is cooking food. Mama Provi then trades some of the arroz con pollo for whatever cultural food the next person is cooking.

When she arrives at her granddaughters house, she has a multicultural feast to share.

I think the book is acceptable for preschoolers but may be better suited for kindergarteners and up. It depends on the individual group's or child's attention span.

Mama Provi and her granddaughter Lucy live in the same tall apartment building -- Mama Provi on the first floor, Lucy on the eighth. When Lucy has the chicken pox and can't come down to visit, Mama Provi decides to make a trip upstairs with a big pot of her tasty arroz con pollo. But on her way up the seven flights of stairs, she meets a neighbor on every floor. She takes a rest on each floor and has a variety of food exchanges with her neighbors. By the time she gets to the top, Mama Provi has a feast ready for Lucy.

Mama Provi has a granddaughter, Lucy, who sleeps over at her home twice a month. One Saturday, Lucy's mother called Mama Provi to tell her that Lucy had chicken pox and could not spend the evening with her grandmother. Mama Provi had an idea and decided to make arroz con pollo for Lucy. Mama Provi walked up to Lucy's apartment but keeps getting stopped along the way trading her arroz con pollo for other dishes her neighbors had made. When Mama Provi finally got to Lucy's apartment she had a feast for her and Lucy. This is a good book to share to introduce the sense of community coming together to help a sick little girl. ( )