Thank you, Omu! Oge Mora

This week I was lucky to celebrate Book Week in a small rural Steiner school. I took along around 60 picture books and spent the day sharing stories with four different classes. I did intend to read Thank you, Omu! with the Preschool and Kinder group but at the last minute I changed my plan. Sadly the book I did read - The secret life of a Tiger by Przemystaw Wechterowicz, was not as successful as I would have liked.  I did read 1 is for One and this was a huge hit with these little listeners.

I wish I read read Thank you Omu! because is allows for participation which I think works well with a group of very young children. Omu (pronounced AH-moo) is cooking a pot of thick red stew for her evening meal. She hears a knock on the door - KNOCK! When she opens the door she finds a little boy who has smelled "the most delicious smell."  There is plenty of stew so Omu spoons some into a bowl for the boy. He says thank you and goes on his way.

Omu goes back to reading her book when she hears KNOCK KNOCK on her door. It is the local police offer. He also smelled "the most delicious smell."  Omu still has plenty to share so she shares some with the police officer to take home for his evening meal.

Omu once again goes back to her book when KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK the hot dog vendor arrives. He has smelled "the most delicious smell." Omu shares some stew with the vendor.  And so her evening continues.

She feeds a shop owner, a cab driver, a doctor, an actor, a lawyer, a dancer, a baker, an artist, a singer, an athlete, a bus driver, a construction worker and the town mayor.  The night grows dark and it is time for Omu to enjoy her evening meal but when she picks up her pot of thick red stew it is EMPTY.

Once again there is a knock on the door.

WE ARE HERE TO GIVE

A lovely story of giving and community founded in Nigerian culture. Delectable. Kirkus Star review

Mora times her story perfectly, with each beat in the right place and repetition that will encourage participation from a group. This will be an ideal volume to use any time sharing is the theme. Horn Book

Omu is the Nigerian word for queen but for the author it meant Grandma. Read more about Oge Mora on her web site. Here is a video reading of the whole book. Thank you Omu won the Coretta Scott King new talent/new illustrator award in 2019. On the Little Brown web site the author talks about her book. This book also won the Ezra Jack Keats illustration award for 2019.