Thank You, Omu! facts for kids
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| Author | Oge Mora |
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| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
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Publication date
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October 2, 2018 |
| Pages | unpaged |
| Awards | Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scot King Steptoe Award |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-43124-8 |
Thank You, Omu! is a popular picture book written and illustrated by Oge Mora. It was published in 2018. The story is about a kind woman named Omu who cooks a delicious stew. She shares her stew with everyone in her neighborhood. In return, her neighbors show their thanks by bringing her food. This book began as a school project for Oge Mora. An editor from Little, Brown saw it and decided to publish it. Thank You, Omu! received great reviews. It also won a special award called the 2019 Caldecott Honor for its amazing pictures. People especially loved how the book's mixed-media art showed detailed characters and places.
Contents
How the Book Was Made
This wonderful book, first called Omu's Stew, started as a project for Oge Mora's class. She was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. The assignment was to create a story where a character gained or lost something.
What Does "Omu" Mean?
The word "Omu" comes from the Igbo language. It means "queen." However, Oge Mora's family also used it to mean "grandmother." In the back of the book, Mora shares that her own grandmother was a very important role model for her.
Getting Published
An editor from Little, Brown was at Mora's school when students showed their book projects. The editor was so impressed that they offered Mora a book deal. This happened even before Mora had a literary agent! The book was officially released on October 2, 2018.
What Happens in the Story?
The story begins with Omu making a tasty stew for dinner. The wonderful smell of her stew spreads all over the neighborhood.
Omu's Generosity
One by one, people from the community come to Omu's door. A young boy is the first. They all ask for some of her delicious stew. Omu is very kind and always shares her food. She gives a portion of her stew to everyone who asks.
A Surprise Ending
When it's finally time for Omu to eat, she realizes there is no stew left for herself! But then, something special happens. All the people she shared her stew with come back. They bring her lots of different foods to show their thanks. Everyone eats together and has a big dance party.
Art and Storytelling
Oge Mora used a special mix of art materials for the book's pictures. She used cut paper, paint, and china markers. This style is called mixed media.
The Art Style
Using collage, which means putting different materials together, makes the book's world feel deep and lively. This technique helps Mora create unique characters and beautiful backgrounds. One reviewer compared the mixed-media collage to how stew is made. They also said it matched the book's ideas of diversity and including everyone. The pictures of the stew's steam floating through the neighborhood were especially praised.
Nigerian and American Influences
The illustrations are bright and colorful. They show Mora's Nigerian background and her experiences in the African-American community. Mora said, "I really love that I could combine Nigerian and American traditions and create a book that exists in a third space like I myself do." Her art style has been compared to famous illustrator Ezra Jack Keats.
Themes and Lessons
Many people felt the story was like an old folk tale. Omu's kindness is rewarded by her neighbors. This helps show the book's main message: sharing food brings people together. It also teaches about diversity and inclusion. When everyone shares food at the end, they become a strong community. By sharing her food, Omu becomes like a grandmother to everyone in the neighborhood. The book also uses interesting words, repetition, and sound words (like "onomatopoeia"). This makes it a great book to read aloud.
