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CORA COOKS PANCIT

Written by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore
Illustrated by Kristi Valiant
Shens Books, 2009
Lee & Low, 2014
Hardcover, 32 pages
ISBN-10: 188500835x
ISBN-13: 9781885008350
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Cora loves the kitchen, but her older brother and sisters always get to help with the real cooking while she gets stuck with kid jobs like licking the spoon. When her older siblings head out for the day, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef. She chooses to make her Grandpa's pancit recipe, a Filipino noodle dish... Mmmm.

Picture Book Winner of the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature (APALA).

CCBC Choices 2010: The Cooperative Children's Book Center top children's book picks for 2010.

Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year

School Library Journal:
"...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. "- Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY (November, 2009 issue of School Library Journal)

Multicultural Review:

“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.”


Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program Blog:
"Gilmore, who grew up in a Filipino Italian kitchen, tells a heartwarming tale that illustrator Valiant captures with the perfect combination of whimsy and action. You can actually feel Cora's longing as she watches her siblings in the kitchen, her wonder as she listens to Mama's stories about Lolo, her worry that her pancit might disappoint, and her beaming pride when the whole family enjoys the meal she so lovingly helped to create. This is one treasure of a family book. Delicious, too!"

more art

Download the Teacher’s Guide:
Cora_Cooks_Pancit_Teacher_Guide.pdf