Thanks to Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche for gathering all the Poetry Friday goodness this week.
Have you read this book?
If not, you need to buy it now or find it at your local library. It’s a great mentor text for getting students to think about their cultural background. Janet Wong published this book twenty-three years ago and just recently added back stories to the poems. More about that next week when Janet shares the answers to some questions I recently asked her.
I was back in the library this week. I had the opportunity to work with fourth and fifth graders. This book provided excellent food poems as mentors. I decided given the time allotment of thirty minutes over class, the SKINNY poem would be a good form for students to use to write a poem about a food for which they had strong emotions (good or bad).
When I take poetry workshops from Paulann Petersen, she often has words lists available for participants. I decided that given the 30 minute time linit, having a word list for describing food would be helpful. I provided this for students:
Today I have poems from fifth graders. I’m sharing poems all next week until our next Poetry Friday.
Arroz con Leche
By Jackeline C.
Mi favorito (my favorite)
Arroz con leche
Caliente (hot)
Sagroso (yummy)
Frio (cold)
Arroz con leche
Blanco (white)
Vapor (vape, steam)
Asucar (sugar)
Arroz con leche
Mi favorito
(I just love that she asked to write it in Spanish)
++++++++++++++++
Sushi
By Viktoria O
Fresh sushi on the table, yes! Tempting.
Spicy
Fresh
Delightful
Bite
Spicy
Scrumptious
Treat
Meal
Spicy
I’m eating the sushi on the table. Tempting.
+++++++++++++++
Quesadillas
By Gabriela A
Nice and hot
Quesadillas
Delicious
Cheesy
Goodness
Quesadillas
Soft
Tasty
Meal
Quesadillas
Nice and hot
+++++++++++++++
Sushi
By Hunter J.
Sushi, we bite into the rice
Sushi
Savory
Delicious
Tender
Sushi
Salty
Tasty
Fresh
Sushi
We bite into the rice
+++++++++++++++++
Chicken Wings
By Angel F.
Chicken wings are fiery
Chicken!!
Spicy
Hot
Delicious
Chicken!!
Mouth-watering
Burning
Rich
Chicken!!
Chicken wings are fiery
+++++++++++++++++
Pizza
By Osiris D.
Pizza is good
Pizza
Chewy
Delicious
Divine
Pizza
Dip
Soft
Cheesy
Pizza
Pizza is good
++++++++++++++++++
Caramel
By Dominik
Out of the package
Caramel
Oh
So
Good
Want
Some
More
Caramel
Out of the package
+++++++++++++++++++
Watermelon
By Sophie E
I wait for my mom to slice it up
Watermelon
Savory
Sweet
Bite
Watermelon
Yum
Drip
Juicy
Watermelon
I wait for my mom to slice it up
++++++++++++++++++
Check It Out 
Nothing nicer than the thoughts of food to inspire everyone to write about favorites. Fun to read, Jone!
Absolutely wonderful! All of them.
The repeated line in this form works well with food poems. These are wonderfully delicious. I’d love to hear the Spanish one read aloud.
Their poems are so good, and they’re making me very hungry!
The students were hungry when they left class! LOL.
I couldn’t have voted for “most delicious” — they all had me convinced!
What a great collection of skinny poems! I just won “A Suitcase of Seaweed & More” and can’t wait to dive into it. I might just have to skip ahead to the food poems that inspired you and these students.
It was SO MUCH FUN!
I love Janet’s poem gifts to us. And my SUITCASE has a different cover – I think it must be an oldie-goldie edition. And you -making me so hungry with your students’ tributes to the foods of their cultures. It’s an evocative way to tour the world. Love this post.
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These are excellent Jone and savoringly delicious 😋 thanks! What a good idea to provide them with the list too.